Good Morning Carmel
by Kristastic
Summary: Susannah has a new job this summer interning with her mom. Things with her boyfriend Jesse are going great. But...the dead have a way of making things complicated.
1. Busy Work

Chapter 1

"Good luck mom." I whispered to my mother as I took her coffee cup off the desk and her co-anchors cup too and darted off to the side.

"Your on in…Three…Two…One…" A short guy with a microphone in his ear, and hideous blue shoes on, motioned his hand towards my mom.

I listened to her saying good morning to Carmel. I turned on my white Steve Madden ballet flats and threw the cups away. I did this all silently of course.

You see, every summer the Ackerman kids are required to get a job. My stepfather Andy asked me if I wanted to take over Jakes position of lifeguard at the Pebble Beach Resort.

Right. At the place where only last summer I had met the crazy nightmare of a guy named Paul Slater. So not happening.

You may be wondering where Jake, or rather Sleepy to me, is. He is taking a summer school class at the college he was attending to. Which was very shocking to me when I heard because Sleepy is so not the summer school kind of guy (who is?). Then I learned that a very hot (in Sleepy's eyes not mine) incoming senior at the college was teaching the course and all made sense again.

Anyway, after I turned down the life-guarding job, my mom offered me the option of interning at the newsroom where she worked at. She is a news anchor for the mornings, which also did not appeal to me. I mean, come on. Early mornings during the summer? No thank you.

I finally accepted the offer when I learned I only had to be there when she was. Which means that I get off at lunchtime. Granted, I have to get up at the crack of dawn, but whatever.

My plan was that I could spend the rest of my afternoons with the one and only Jesse. My boyfriend. Who used to be a ghost. Boy, was I ever dreaming.

Anyway, I tiptoed out of the shooting room into the reception area/bull pen. The bull pen's where all the reporters kept their desks.

"Susannah, there you are." Angela, the receptionist said as soon as she saw me from where she was sitting. It looks like she made a big effort to come find me.

"Need something?" I asked. My mother failed to mention to me that interning would _not_ involve the occasional field story like I had hoped, but rather in me doing all the dirty work for everyone else. Like for instance getting their coffee, faxing papers, filing papers.

"Some guy called for you. I told him you would call him back." Angela said as she buffed her nails with a filer. She was such a cliché.

"Some guy? What guy?" My heart pounded in my chest. Could he FINALLY be calling?

"Jason..Jerry…"

"Jesse?" I asked trying to force my self to stay cool.

"Yeah Jesse." She didn't look up from her nails.

"Did he leave a number?"

"Yeah. Here." She handed the piece of paper to me.

Your probably wondering why I'm getting so hung up over the fact my supposed boyfriend is calling me. That reason is because he has been in lovely San Jose helping Father Dominic for the past two weeks. Father Dom is the principle of my school and I suppose a mentor of such.

"Ok thanks. I'm going to take 5." I muttered to Angela as I walked to my mom's cubicle to use the phone. I think I'm the only 17 year old on the planet not to have a cell phone. Heck, Jesse just got one (hence the needing the phone number thing) and he doesn't really like technology that much. Granted he was born 150 years ago.

"Hey Jesse!" I said cheerfully into the phone.

"Querida." He replied.

Oh jeez. Visions of his sexiness danced in my head.

"Hows it going up there?" I asked playing with the cord of the phone trying to be cool.

"Good, Father Dominic and I should be home in a few days."

He had said that last week. And the week before that.

It was really weird to be talking to him on the phone. He doesn't really like to either I've noticed. When I call him or something we never chat for millions of years like my friends CeeCee and Adam do. They do the whole "no you hang up!" "No you hang up first!" thing. If I ever said that to Jesse he would. Hang up I mean.

"Well, Susannah, I just wanted to say hi. You have my number now?" He asked.

"Yes I do. But hold on. You PROMISE you'll be home soon?" I asked him not wanting to say goodbye. I missed him. I could drive up there to see him if I wanted to. San Jose is only an hour away. I can borrow the Rambler in the afternoons since Sleepy had bought his own car and Brad (aka Dopey) is working for Andy until the evenings, but I have a feeling that my mom wouldn't like it very much. Plus I'd probably get lost and end up in San Francisco.

"Si querida. I've got to go." Jesse hung up abruptly.

I stared at the receiver. Um hello? What happened to I love you? I sighed.

"Susannah!" Angela hollered at me. A few reporters that where mulling by the water fountain looked at me.

"Yes?" I asked.

Why didn't he say I love you?

"Larry here needs a favor." Angela gestured to a field reporter that was leaning against her desk. His hair was black with a white mustache. The kind that looks like you got from drinking milk.

"Yes Larry?"

"Take my car and go down to the public library. Get me as much information on this guy as you can." Larry handed me a piece of paper with Dr. Harold Navy written on it.

Great. Busy work.


	2. In the Basement

Chapter 2:

It turns out Larry with a gray mustache drives a stick shift. Something I hadn't exactly learned how to drive yet. I had only gotten my license a few months ago, due to me being a jaded New Yorker and never taken drivers ed before coming to California. How can he afford a Ferrari? He's a field reporter trying to work his way up. I tell you Carmel is really weird.

So anyway, it took me a while, a lot of hand waving, and me praying to God, but I did get to the library. Surprisingly the car was unscratched. I walked over to the librarian and asked her where I could find information on Dr Navy and she told me to start with google and let her know if he was dead or alive and/or a resident of Carmel County. Seriously Google...

Fun.

On the computer I learned that he was indeed dead and was a former resident of Carmel. I went back to the librarian and she told me to go to the basement and there would most likely be a box.

The basement. How original.

"Suze?"

I twirled around only to come face to face with Paul Slater. A man who I believed tried to kill me. Twice.

"Paul." I replied.

"Aw Suze. Still mad?" He asked draping an arm around my shoulders.

Um. Yes?

He didn't give me a chance to answer. "You know, Amy told me that it was Suze Simon climbing out of a black Ferrari. But I didn't believe her."

"Yeah it was me. The Aston Martin's in the shop." I joked brushing his arm off my shoulder.

"Oh pretty and a sense of humor. So, what are you doing? Jack missed you at the club." Paul asked sticking his hands in his khakis.

I had babysitted his brother Jack last summer, which was how I ended up meeting Paul.

"I'm just doing some research. Going down to the basement..." I trailed off and looked over his shoulder. A blonde that reminded me of a Barbie was sitting in a tube top and Daisy Duke short shorts with flip flops looking over at an SAT book. Seriously, an SAT book.

Paul looked over his shoulder to where I was looking.

"Suze, you know you're the only one for me." He said taking his hand out of pocket and playing with one of my brown curls.

"Uh huh. Listen, this has been real nice and all but I'm going to go."

"I'll join you. You never know what lurks in the basement."

"What about Barbie?" I really didn't need Pail around today.

"You mean Amy?" He corrected. "She can finish taking her SAT practice test."

I sighed, wondering what the world was coming to and we went down to the basement. It was your classic horror story of a place. Only half the lights worked, and it was dusty and cobwebby.

"What's the name?" Paul asked as he scanned the names on the many rows of boxes.

"Dr. Harold Navy." I put my purse down on a table and started walking around. That's when I saw her.

"Paul? Come here." I hollered.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Do you see what I see?" I asked.

He looked down the rows of boxes and nodded. A little girl about the age of 10 sat on the floor reading a book. Now normally, I wouldn't think much of this but a) we where in a basement and b) she was glowing. Not glowing like, I have sparkly lotion on, but an actual glow.

"Hi." I said coming closer to her. The little girl looked up, startled.

"You can see me?" She asked.

The girl was a ghost. Ok you can stop laughing now. I'll admit it, I'd be skeptical too if I was you. But the truth is, I can see ghosts. And so can Paul, Father Dominic, and Jesse. Oh and Jack, Paul's little brother. There must be something in the water in Carmel.

"What's your name?" Paul asked ignoring her question.

"Delia Smithsonian." She replied.

"Well Delia, what's the problem?" He asked. I proceeded to smack him in the stomach. Mr. Sensitive was apparently not Paul's middle name.

"What he means to say is, how can we help you?" I asked, ignoring Paul's attempt to suck in air, and sat on the floor next to her. Gross. Basement floor.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well Delia…" I've found that there was no easy way to say this. "You're dead…and for some reason you haven't moved on to your next destination. So what Paul and I do, my names Suze by the way, is we try to help you figure out what's keeping you back."

"Oh. I already know that."

"Oh yeah?" Paul asked after shooting me a dirty look for hitting him. The baby.

"Yeah." She replied.

I paused ready to hear anything. I hear the weirdest things when it comes to holding people back from moving on to their final destination.


	3. Bad News

A/N: Sorry about the shortness last chapter. That was bad of me.

I'm loving the critical reviews guys! Keep it coming!

Chapter 3

"What is it?" I asked Delia.

"I just need you to tell my mother I'm ok and that I love her. You see, I died abruptly."

For a 10 year old she had a nice vocabulary.

"How?" Paul asked.

Delia stopped looking at me and looked at Paul.

"Car accident. My mom lived, I didn't. She blames herself and is constantly worrying about me."

"I'm sorry." I whispered trying to imagine how my mom would feel.

"So will you help me?" She asked.

Paul and I nodded.

"Paul hand me your cell phone."

"What you're going to do it now? Here?" He asked.

"Yeah I am so give me your cell phone."

He handed it to me and I dialed information. I find it easier to just get things over with.

I cupped my hand over the receiver. "What's your moms name?" I asked Delia.

"Amanda."

I asked the operator for the number of Amanda Smithsonian in Carmel. Lucky me. Only one person living here by that name.

"Hi is this Amanda?" I asked when a woman answered. I hated this next part. It's always so difficult to pass a message from the dead to the living. I find it's better to just say what you need to say and brace yourself for any type of reaction.

"Yes it is. May I help you?"

"Yes. Ok…This is going to sound weird but its concerning your daughter Delia. She needs you to know something. She loves you and that she is Ok." I said it quickly wanting to get it over with.

"Is this a joke?" She asked.

"No ma'am. It isn't."

Delia looked alarmed. "Tell her that her little angel loves her."

"What?" I asked with my hand over the receiver.

"Just tell her!" She urged.

"Your little angel loves you…" I repeated unsure.

After a long uncomfortable pause, Amanda said, "Thank you…" I could hear her sobbing lightly in the background. "Thank you. I don't know who you are or how you know that but thank you." Then she hung up.

I gave Paul back his phone and turned to Delia and smiled.

"Thank you Suze." Delia said and she walked away, her glow getting lighter and lighter.

"That was easy." Paul said after a moment of silence.

"Yeah, really easy." I replied lost in thought. I wonder how many times I've done that. Mediated a ghost I mean.

Paul walked over to a shelf.

"Oh. Here's your box." He gestured to a dusty looking box with the name Dr. Harold Navy scribbled on it. "What are you looking for?" He asked.

"Don't know. I think he's doing an interest piece or something." I replied as he pulled the box off the self and set it on the table next to my purse.

For the next hour Paul and I searched through the box and picked out a few articles. Turns out he was this famous scientist who was working for a cure to a virus and was apparently close to figuring it out before he died. I copied the files, thanked Paul for his help, and went back to the station.

When I arrived I instantly knew something was wrong. Policemen and a ambulance where out front. I swung the car into his space (conveniently in front of the building) and ran over to my mom who was standing out front.

"What happened?" I asked her.

"Oh Suzie!" She gasped and gave me a bear hug.

"What happened? Are you ok?" I asked feeling slightly smothered.

"Its Eric… He had a heart attack while we were on air. He's being taken to the hospital right now." She released me from her death hug and looked at Eric, her co-anchor, on a stretcher being hauled into the ambulance.

"Is he going to be ok?"

"I honestly don't know." She replied.

When my mom and I got home later that afternoon she decided to go lay down and take a nap.

I also went to my room. I grabbed the cordless phone off my nightstand and climbed onto the window seat and called Jesse.

I gazed out the window as it rang. You could see the Pacific, and my school from my window. I honestly don't know how I ever lived without the beach.

"Hello?"

"Hey." I replied feeling better already because I heard his voice. Ok. I admit it. I'm head over heels with a former ghost.

"Susannah…Everything alright?" He asked.

"Yeah everything's fine. I just miss you is all." I'm such a dork.

"I miss you too Susannah. What are you doing tonight?" He asked.

I sat up so fast I almost fell over. Was Jesse going to ask me out? Did this mean he is home?

"Nothing. Why?" I asked in a rushed voice.

"Well, I'm driving back from San Jose with Father Dominic. And I wanted to see you."

He's coming home!

"So you're all done with everything up there?"

Jesse and Father Dom had gone up there to help a soul move on. From what I gathered, the ghost's family lived up there. The ghost needed Jesse and Father Dom to make sure his daughter found the new will he wrote so that all the money he had wouldn't go to his sister. Why this took them 2 weeks to sort out, I'll never understand.

"Yes quedria. It's finally done. Father Dom said I could borrow his car tonight to come see you."

God bless you Father Dominic.

Just then the call waiting went off.

"Jesse, that's the call waiting. I'll be here the rest of the day so just stop by whenever you want."

"Ok Susannah. Love you."

"Love you too." YES! He said it. Go me.

I clicked off and answered the other line.

"Hello?" I asked. I sat back down on the window seat.

"Hi is this Susannah?"

"Yes it is." I replied.

"Its Angela. I was wondering if your mother was around?" She asked sounding exasperated.

"Well she is…But she's asleep. Can I pass on a message for you?" I asked sounding extra polite.

"Um…God. There is no easy way to say this. Suze…Eric died in the hospital today. I know he and your mother were getting close…" She broke off and sniffled.

I swallowed. He and my mom did hang out a lot lately. He was a good friend of hers. I liked Eric a lot too. He was always nice to me. He thanked me whenever I brought him his coffee, unlike some people.

"I'll tell her." I answered. Feeling exhausted from all these emotions. Happy then sad…

"Thanks…Bye Susannah." She hung up without giving me a chance to say goodbye to her.

Terrific. More bad news.


	4. Pinball and Psychics

A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews. I know it kind of feels slow right now in the story but by the next chapter things will pick up. Enjoy! 

Chapter 4

After I hung up with Angela, I delivered the bad news to my mom. We laid down on her bed and talked for a while. Afterwards I called Andy. Andy and Brad left work early and Andy stayed with my mom the rest of the day.

I later called CeeCee, told her what was going on with the whole co-anchor's death, and she suggested I take my mind off things until Jesse came to hang out with me.

So I decided to hang out with Doc (aka David).

"So when does Cosmos start?" I asked Doc as I waited for my turn. We were playing pinball on his computer. Cosmo's is a science/astronomy camp that Doc hasn't been able to stop talking about since he got accepted. Yes, it was a summer camp that you have to apply to.

"Not till the end of July." Doc replied not taking his eyes off the screen. "Shoot. I lost."

We switched places. I started playing with the keyboard.

"Suze…Something's bothering me." Doc confessed.

"What's that?" I risked a glance over at him.

"How did Jake get the money for the Camero?"

"What do you mean?" I asked still working the keyboard.

"Well…Mom and Dad took all his money away last year…and the Camero costs at least $25,000." Doc picked up his rubrics cube. "So, how did he get the cash so fast?"

I paused the game and turned around. I hadn't thought about this. He had bought it a few weeks after summer vacation started.

"And where does he spend all his time?" Doc continued while lining up a row of red squares.

"At the summer school class I suppose…" I replied scrunching up my nose.

"It only meets three days a week for two hours. And he's been gone all day all week." Doc looked up at me.

"Surfing?" I suggested.

Carmel was known for having the nicest beaches for surfing.

"His board is in the garage. I checked."

"David you need to find something to do to occupy your time." I replied. This was probably Doc's last free summer before having to get a job. He was going to be a freshman next year.

He looked back down at his rubrics cube sheepishly. "I was just thinking…"

"No, actually, that is a good...observation." I told him and put my hand on his shoulder.

"So what do you think? Drugs?" He asked.

"David! Its not drugs. At least I don't think." Although he is always asleep.

The doorbell rang.

"That'd be Jesse." I stood up and smoothed down my white Betsy Johnson dress I got 75 off last summer at a sale.

"Have fun. And think about what I said." David said.

"I will. Who knows how he got the cash? We can figure it out." I replied.

I trotted down the stairs, all my worries about the day gone. Jesse, my one true love was here.

I threw the door open and smiled up at him.

"Susannah!" He breathed and gave me a hug.

"Jesse. I missed you so much!"

Just then Brad walked in from the front door. He must have taken the Rambler out to go meet friends or something.

"God. Get a room." He snorted.

I released my hug from Jesse and rolled my eyes at him.

Jesse and I ended up going to Bubba Gumps for dinner down in Monterey, which is a half hour drive away from Carmel. After dinner we sat on a bench, me with my head against his shoulders, and him with his arm around my neck.

I gazed across the street and noticed a Psychic sign lit up in neon letters. Underneath it, it said, _Palm Reading_.

Jesse must have noticed my gaze because he said, "Do you want to go get our fortune read Susannah?" He smiled down at me making my heart gooey.

"Sure." I replied smiling, thinking about the last time I'd gotten my fortune told with Gina by Madame Zahara.

We walked across the street into the small shop. The walls were painted a light purple and there where beads in replace of a door leading to the room where the "psychic" sat.

"Do you two wish to get your fortune told?" She asked not looking up from her magazine.

Her hair was red and curly and her eyes a dark blue.

"Yes we do." Jesse replied with a grin on his face. He was holding my hand. Something he rarely liked to do in public. He was a true gentleman and not really big on PDA (public display of affection). He practically had a coronary giving me a hug goodbye in front of my mom and Andy one time.

"Both of you?" She asked finally looking up at us and set the magazine aside.

"Yes." I replied.

"Alright. You first." She pointed to me.

I walked into the small room. Jesse sat down on one of the chairs in the adjacent room and watched. She told me to hold out my palm.

I did as I was told.

She picked up my hand and closed her eyes.

"You have a long life line. Also a long love life." She was tracing lines on my hand. I glanced at Jesse when she said long love life and smiled.

"Oh dear." She opened her eyes and frowned.

Oh dear? Oh dear is not something you want a psychic to say.

"You have a 6th sense… And it's going to put you in danger soon."

Soon? Sorry sister but it already has put me in danger countless times.

"What kind of danger?" I asked cautiously.

"I cannot tell you more. You must leave now." She simply stated dropping my hand like it was on fire.

"Now listen. You just told me I'm in trouble and now you aren't going to tell me why?" I stood up, hands on my hips, ready to fight.

Jesse took my hand and muttered, "Querida. Lets go. This wasn't a good idea."

The two of us walked out of the store into the streets.

"Hey, lets get some ice cream." Jesse stated trying to distract me I suppose, and we started off for the gelato place a block down from Bubba Gumps.

After getting our ice cream, we sat down. I was still in a daze about what the psychic said to me.

"What reason do you think it is this time?" Jesse asked me.

"What?" I asked snapped out of my daze.

"What reason is it for you being in trouble? What have you been up to while I've been gone?" He asked taking a bite of vanilla.

"Honestly? Nothing. I haven't done anything." I replied.

Jesse gave me that, yeah-right-I-completely-believe-you look.

"What? I'm innocent."

For now at least.


	5. Cypress Inn

  
A/N: Ok guys! Sorry for the fact that this is short. I have a long weekend, so I promise that the next chapter will be the longest one yet. Thanks for the reviews! I really apperciate them. Keep them coming. I love feed back. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 5

Eric Vandorvelt's memorial the next day was an interesting to say the least. I guess the video tech guys where up all night or something because instead of beginning with the usual stuff with my mom and Eric (Eric was now replaced by gray mustache Larry, a guy my mom isn't too fond of), they began the news with a clip reel of him. Some of the footage even dated back to when he was an investigative reporter, some of it when he was laughing with my mom about a story, some of the video was even home movies of him playing with his kids.

After work all of us at the station were piled in at one of the local inns. It was called the _Cypreuss Inn_ and was apparently Eric's favorite. There was even a picture of him on the wall. He was all tan and had pearly whites and was leaning against a golf cart holding a golf ball and his club. Apparently he was on the wall he got a hole in one at the Pebble Beach Resort golf course. If you manage to do so- something that was about as rare as a fast food joint in Carmel- you get your picture taken and free beers for life. To bad that life was cut short by a heart attack.

My mother and I stood by that picture drinking Coke's.

"I still can't believe it." My mom shook her head sloshing some of her drink.

"Mom, relax." I replied setting my drink down on the sticky bar next to us. She sighed and flung herself on to the barstool.

"Simon!" I heard a familiar voice holler at me from behind.

"CeeCee?" I turned away from my mom and cast a curious glance at my best friend. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm with Anna, the editor from the newspaper. She knew Eric and wanted to pay her respects. So I went with her." CeeCee said. Her white skin stood out even more in her black suit.

"Oh. How's the newspaper job going?" I asked.

"Good. Not as interesting as apparently your job." My mom shot her a displeased glance. "Sorry Mrs. Ackerman."

"It's alright CeeCee. Why don't you and Susie catch up? I'll go and talk to Eric's wife, London." My mom got up and smoothed her black dress. She picked up her glass, gave me a hug and walked off.

"So…How's Jesse?" CeeCee asked as she sat down next to me at the bar. Her eyes glistened and I knew she knew something I didn't.

"He's good. And Adam?" I asked sipping my Coke. Adam was CeeCee's boyfriend. She had had a crush on him for years and recently her wish of making him her boyfriend came true.

"Good." She replied looking at her nails.

"CeeCee. Come off it." I sighed.

"What?" She asked innocently.

"What's the story? Enough with the small talk. I know you all to well." I smiled at my friend. Somehow she always managed to know the gossip in the town, making her one of the best reporters at the school paper. Currently she was interning at the _Carmel Pine Cone_. The paper was founded in the early 1900's.

"Ok…Well, where do I start?" She looked around us suspiciously to make sure no one was listening.

"I find that the beginning is always good." I replied amused.

"Always a kidder Simon. Anyway, I managed to over hear Anna on the phone.

Apparently London, his wife, just found out she is pregnant."

I raised an eyebrow. That was very love story romantic-ish.

"That's it?" I asked.

"No. But now I'm not going to tell you the rest because of your attitude." CeeCee scoffed.

"Cee, I'm sorry." I replied.

"Forgiven. Do you want to hear the rest?" She asked.

"Of cour-" I was interrupted by something very startling. I stared over CeeCee's shoulder and gulped.

"Simon…Something wrong?" She asked me. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"That's because I am." I answered.

"Oh God. Who is it?" CeeCee turned around to look where I was looking. It was useless of course. She couldn't see him. A few months ago I had confessed my "abilities" to her and instead of running away screaming, she told me she had figured something was up. CeeCee was truly one of the best friends a girl could ask for.

"It's…Eric." I replied looking at a very confused Eric Vandorvelt. He had on what he had been wearing before he died, which was a pink dress shirt and navy blue pants and jacket. His tan skin glowed before me.

"He's here?" CeeCee asked looking alarmed. "Suze you need to know something before you talk to him." She pleaded.

I was already trying to subtly catch Eric's eye. He was staring at his wife. I cleared my throat, which caused him to turn around and look at me.

"Mr. Vandorvelt." I stated.

"Suze! Listen! Anna was on the phone and I heard her say-"

"Susannah? You can see me?" He asked. I nodded and half listened to CeeCee.

"Suze!" She grabbed my arm, completely catching my attention. "Suze, she was telling the other person on the phone that Eric had been murdered! Someone poisoned him!" She hissed at me. I guess she didn't know Eric could hear her.

Eric and I both stared at CeeCee dumbly.

"Did that girl just say I was murdered?" Eric asked stepping closer to me. I looked at the both of them.

I had a feeling that the darn psychic was right. My 6th sense was getting me in danger.


	6. Terrific Idea

**Authors Note:**

**Ok so I made this one really long (for me at least). **

**strawberry-krushed: thank you for that really nice comment! **

**Querida101: I listened to that song and its really really good! I love it. I'm curious though.. what where you going to say?**

**adrienne06052: That made me laugh so hard that water came out of my nose. (Sexy, I know.)**

**Please keep the reviews coming! I appreciate them ALL! **

**Chapter 6**

Now normally I don't get so worked up seeing a ghost. I mean after about 14 years of seeing them, I don't get really surprised anymore. Plus, with me being a girl from Brooklyn, I've seen just about everything there is to see.

When I saw Eric as a ghost, it was different though from all my other ghostly encounters. I _knew_ Eric before he died unlike most of the other ghosts I've mediated. I figured I'd see Eric again what with me being a mediator and all, and also him dieing abruptly, but at this particular time, it had caught me completely off guard.

When I saw him standing behind CeeCee, I was very shocked. I even looked at the photo on the wall- the one of him getting a hole in one- just to make sure it was really Eric. Then when CeeCee said that he was poisoned, well that just rocked my world even more.

CeeCee's hand was still holding my arm. Her almost white hair was falling into her eyes. She brushed it away with her free hand and said, "Simon. You ok?"

My lips felt all tingly like I'd just gotten them numbed with Novocain or something. The words _poison_ just kept echoing in my head.

"I'm alright." I replied after a long pause. _Get a grip Simon_, I told myself. CeeCee released her grasp from my arm. Eric had moved so that now he was standing in front of me.

"Susannah? Can you really see me?" He asked again.

I nodded. "Yeah I can. I can see dead people." I told him like the kid tells Bruce Willis in the film the _Six Sense_.

I cast a look at Eric, and stared right into his baby blues. You know, for an old guy he was pretty cute.

I spun the barstool away from CeeCee so that I was facing him.

"Ok here is how it's going to work." I leaned so that my elbows where against the sticky bar._ Ew_, I'd like to add. "CeeCee. I need your help. I'm going to talk to Eric here but I don't want to seem like a crazy person. So I need you to nod and act like your just listening to me. Which I know you will be. Can you do that?" I asked and I cast a glance at her.

"To see the mediator in action? I'll do anything." She flashed me a grin. You know, for a girl who just told me that someone was murdered, she was pretty chipper.

"Ok good." I was slowly starting to regain control of this situation. I just kept reminding myself that I had done this before and I could do it again. Take down a murderer I mean. I guess the shock was starting to go away.

"Susannah she said I was poisoned but I wasn't." Eric pleaded with me. Or at least I think it was me he was pleading with. Maybe he was trying to convince his self that he wasn't murdered.

"It was a heart attack." He continued. "I even felt my left arm start to ache…"

"Poison can induce a heart attack. Does it seem really likely that a 40 year old guy, in the best shape of his life, just suddenly drops dead of a heart attack?" I asked whispering so I wouldn't be over heard.

"Why would someone murder me?" He asked placing his hands across his chest.

He began to pace the floor.

"I don't know. But I'll find out." I said after a pause.

"But I can't be dead. This has to be a mistake." He said to me after a period of silence. He, I could tell, was going into denial.

"Eric, I'm sorry. You are dead. Someone killed you and I promise I'll find out who did it." I repeated.

"But the baby…"

Dang it. I forgot about the baby. Now I felt like punching someone. I can be pretty quick with my fists when I want to. Who was so cold hearted to leave an unborn child and his two other children without a father?

"Suze. Mom alert." CeeCee, who had been sitting there quietly, occasionally nodding her head like I asked, said.

I looked over at my mother who was walking straight towards where Eric was standing. Eric turned and looked at his best friend. I watched as my oblivious mother came in contact with Eric making him poof. It was really odd. I guess me and Eric's conversation was over for now. I had a feeling he would be back though. They always do.

"Suze- ooh cold spot." She said when she walked 'through' Eric.

Boy if she only knew.

"What's up Mom?" I asked. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see CeeCee's confused faced. I quickly promised myself that I'd tell her what happened later and for some reason I think CeeCee knew that I would tell her later.

"Jesse's here. Apparently he just bought a car. He called my cell phone earlier." She told me while rubbing her arms. This is a random thought I know, but now that I think about it. I have the best mother in the world. She puts up with her 17-year-old daughter dating a 21-year-old guy. Well, actually 171 years old if you want to get technical.

"Jesse called your cell?" I asked making a face while putting my problems aside.

"Yes. He wanted to see if he could come pick you up so I told him where we are. He's out front. He didn't want to leave his "baby"." She used air quotes when she said the word baby.

"Thanks mom!" I perked up at this. I got up from the barstool and gave her a hug. Jesse bought a car? And he was calling it his baby? That has to mean that it was a pretty decent ride. Yes I know I have a problem. I was supposed to be tracking down a murderer but I was thinking about my boyfriend's car. I'm messed up.

"Want to come CeeCee?" I asked.

"No I'm good. Anna probably wants to get back to the newspaper."

"Oh! Suze! Before you leave, say your respects to London." My mom said and then walked over to the bar to get a second Coke. She wasn't a "lets drink at 1 in the afternoon" kind of mother. Which is a good thing.

I heaved a sigh and CeeCee and I walked to where London had been talking in the lounge. Her eyes where puffy but she was still beautiful. Like supermodel beautiful. She had long platinum blonde hair and her face was like Cameron Diaz's.

"London." I said interrupting her talking to a tall guy. From what I could tell their conversation was pretty intimate. His hand was on her shoulder and she was leaning in towards him. I couldn't see his face until he turned around.

"Jake?" I asked getting another surprise in less then 10 minutes. "What are you doing here?"

He sighed and grabbed my arm and led me away from a confused looking CeeCee and a startled London. After an awkward pause, CeeCee, God love her, started a conversation up with London to keep her from staring at Jake and I talking.

Jake crossed his arms over his chest and asked, "What do you want?"

Why was Jake so chummy with London? All of a sudden, Doc's questions echoed in my head.

**_"How did Jake get the money for the Camaro?"_**

"_**So, how did he get the cash so fast?"**_

"Jake what are you doing here?" I asked looking up at him. He was really tall, like six feet, whereas I was only five foot two.

"I'm paying my respects. Why do you even care?" He asked rather defensively.

"I care because…" I stopped. I couldn't tell him about the murder. "I just do ok?"

Yeah. It did sound lame.

"Look, don't tell anyone this but I'm doing the yard work for her." He said rapidly. The way he said it made it seem like he was lying to me.

"In exchange for a Camaro?" I asked angrily. Was Jake having an affair with her? It looked like it from the intimate conversion they were having.

"If you must know, yes." He snapped. "Is Mom here?"

""What do you think? It was only her co-worker that died and basically her best friend." I replied nastily. I was getting extremely pissed off at him.

"Look you don't have to be so mean about it." He hissed back. This was really out of character for Jake. Usually he wasn't so angry when he talked to me. He was just so, well sleepy. Granted, we don't really talk much or are that close.

"You're getting paid with a Camaro? Does Andy know? I mean, that's a lot of yard work to be worth a car."

"No one knows about this ok? So don't tell. Please Susannah." He looked down at me with a puppy dogface. This was getting really weird. I never thought in a million years that Jake would ask me to keep a secret from my Mom and Andy.

I rolled my eyes and told him he owed me a more extensive explanation later. I figured we had better end the conservation because people were staring at us. Jake reluctantly agreed and we walked back over to London and CeeCee.

Trying to forget the awkward conversation I'd had with Jake, I walked up to Eric's wife whom I had only met a few times.  
"London, I just wanted to give you my most heart felt apologies." I shook her hand talked to her for a few more minutes, and I walked out leaving CeeCee to go find Anna so they could go back to work. .

When I went out front, I saw a very proud father admiring his baby. Jesse had bought a used Grand Jeep Cherokee. It was a cute blue Liberty and the only downside was it had 80,000 miles on it and was scratched on the bumper. The upside was that we no longer needed to use Father Dominic's car.

To pay for the car, Jesse has been doing odd jobs for people. Occasionally he would work for Andy helping with construction. Other jobs he did were helping cleaning. He even cleaned out an old lady named Eleanor's attic. After doing such a wonderful job, Eleanor asked Jesse if he would like to move in with her and live in that attic. He agreed and got free room and board in exchange for him running errands for her and doing the cooking and cleaning and helping whenever he can. Although he wont admit it, but I bet it was weird for him to be doing what was considered a women's job when he was alive in the late 1800's.

He did this all while studying for the SAT. He had applied for, and gotten accepted to California State University of Monterey and he also received a healthy scholarship.

Anyhow, Jesse hadn't mind waiting for me in front of the _Cypress Inn_ because it gave him more time alone with his car, which he already named Margarita. I told him that Susannah was a better name but he told me that Margarita could hear me and that I shouldn't make fun of her. Men.

Currently, I sat in the passenger's seat of the car fiddling with the air conditioner. It was really hot out there at a balmy 80 degree's and considering that I had on all black, it wasn't making me any cooler. As we drove to his place, I told Jesse everything that has happened concerning Jake and also Eric.

When I was through Jesse whistled low. "Querida, what have you gotten yourself into?"

I sighed. He was completely right. What _had_ I gotten myself into?

"Do you honestly think Jake is sleeping with her?" Jesse asked as he checked his mirrors carefully. He was a very careful driver.

I wonder how he got his license? And a new birth certificate and social security number too. Whenever I ask him, he refuses to tell me. I even asked Father Dominic but he also did not budge. I guess Father Dom had a way of getting them for him. Maybe I could get him to make me a fake ID or something. I highly doubt he would but you never know.

"Honestly?" I asked. Tearing myself away from my thoughts. "No. Jake isn't like that. At least I don't think so. But I think he knows more then he's letting on." I replied.

"True. He doesn't seem like that kind of guy concerning." He said. "What are you going to do about the murder?"

"I really don't know." I felt like banging my head against the dashboard. "I think I need help."

"Ok I'll be the Clyde to your Bonnie." Jesse said after a moment.

I looked over at him. "I'm sorry are we robbing a bank?"

"It was the only movie I could remember where a man and a woman team up." He replied looking amused.

I was teaching Jesse about pop culture, so we were watching a lot of old movies. Recently, as you may guess, we watched _Bonnie and Clyde_.

I gave him a weak smile and leaned back. He had a good point. How the heck am I going to figure out who murdered Eric? I have no leads, no suspects. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

Then it hit me like a speeding bullet and I had a terrific idea on where to begin.


	7. Hiding Behind a Bush

Chapter 7

The Monday following the memorial, I asked for the day off from work from my mother. I explained to her that I just felt that I needed a day off to do whatever I pleased. She reluctantly agreed and sighed muttering something about how she guesses that I was only a teenager once and how I should hang out with my friends. I really don't think she minds though. She's probably just happy I have friends now. To bad that wasn't why I wanted the day off.

I got up a little after my mom (she gets up at 5:00 AM and leaves 20 minutes later) and got a shower. I pulled on a cute summer dress and a thick wool coat due to the fact that it was dark, freezing and foggy out. Mornings in Carmel where always this way no matter the season.

I went out onto the roof that you can access from my window and waited. For what you may ask? Well, for Sleepy. Since I was never around in the mornings due to work, I had no clue what time he left for his work or school. I know getting up at six o'clock in the morning might be construed as drastic for some but I figured better safe then sorry. Oh, I suppose I could have asked him but I didn't want to make him suspicious. Not that Sleepy was the sharpest tool in the shed or anything but I still did not want to risk blowing my cover.

My great plan was that I would wait for him to leave the house and then follow him. I figured that he would possibly stop at London's, at which point I could figure out what was really going on between the two of them. Which, if it was really just gardening, meant I could possibly enlist Sleepy's help in this. It wasn't much, but it was a good place to start.

I stretched out on the roof tiles and relaxed, hugging my coat. The sun was just starting to come up casting the city in a pretty light blue glow. I could see the Pacific twinkling.

"Susannah." A voice said beside me.

"Jeez. Eric you almost-" I stopped myself. I was about to say, you almost gave me a heart attack. That wouldn't be adding salt to the wounds at all.

"You startled me." I said instead.

"Sorry." He replied and sat down next to me. "We never got to finish talking the other day."

"Yeah…Sorry about that. I had a question I wanted to ask you. Do you have any enemies?"

"Enemies?" He replied.

This had to be weird for him. He was relying on his best friends daughter to solve his murder. I wonder if my mother knew that he had been killed. If she did I doubt she would tell me.

"Yeah. Like would there be a big reason as to why someone would do this to you?" I continued, playing with one of the buttons on the coat.

"I was thinking about it and…Well, no." He replied running his fingers through his hair.

"Had you fought with anyone recently about anything? The weather? World peace? Absolutely anything?" I asked.

Eric paused thinking about it. Finally he said, "I fought with Larry."

This caught my attention. "Why?"

"He wanted to see if he could fill in for me when I went on vacation with my family at the end of the month. I told him it wasn't up to me; it was up to the producers. He then proceeded to say that he asked the producers and they said no." He fused his eyebrows together in thought.

"Larry then said that if I put in a good word for him, they would reconsider but I refused. Oh jeez. Do you think Larry did this to me?" He sounded tired and angry.

"I don't know but I'll look into it." It sounded possible that Larry may have done it but would someone really kill just to become a news anchor?

I heard a front door slam. That was my cue.

"I hate to cut this short, Eric but I need to do something." I told him.

"Does it involve the murder?" He asked.

I nodded not wanting to make a sound. Which may alert Sleepy to my presence. 

"Good. While you do that, I'm going to go keep my eye on Larry." He said.

Before I had a chance to protest, Eric was gone. I sighed but focused my attention on Sleepy who had came out front. I listened and heard him say some colorful words, causing me to smile.

I had tactfully positioned the Rambler in front of Sleepy's Camaro last night so he couldn't get out of the drive way. I carefully and quietly climbed back into my room, grabbed my purse and crept down stairs. I heard Sleepy in the kitchen getting the keys to the Rambler and go back out front to move it. I hid behind the couch waiting from him to come back in to put the keys back on the peg.

After he did so, I grabbed the keys and went out front just in time to see him drive away in his Camaro. I ran to the Rambler and followed Sleepy in what I hope was a stealthy way. He ended up exactly where I expected him to be. London's house.

By now it was 8:30. I pulled over two houses down. Let me take a moment to say that the Vandorvelt's house was massive and in a way reminded me of Paul's glass house that over looked the sea. It had huge glass windows in the front so you could see everything that was happening inside. Personally I think this is impractical and allows you very little privacy. But whatever, that's just me.

Sleepy rang the doorbell and London answered it and gave him a hug before going inside. I got out of the car and walked closer to the house. London didn't bother to keep the curtains closed in the huge windows so I saw the two of them sitting on the couch, rather closely, talking. I was glad that Eric wasn't watching London otherwise he may get the wrong impression and go after Sleepy. I pulled my digital camera out of my purse (a gift courtesy of Grandma for my seventeenth birthday) and used the zoom to get a better look at the two of them.

Don't get your panties in a twist. They can't see me. I think. I had positioned myself behind a bush.

"Sleepy…what have you gotten into?" I muttered to myself as I snapped a picture.

"Miss? What are you doing?" A voice asked me from behind.

I stood up and spun around and came face to face with a very amused Paul. Huh. I guess the reason why this house looked like Paul's is because it's near his house.

"I was, uh, just…" Crap.

"Suze I didn't take you as a peeping Tom." Paul gestured towards my camera. I proceeded to shove it into my purse. I glanced behind me and saw Sleepy getting up towards the door. Double crap.

I grabbed Paul's arm and made a break for the Rambler.

"Suze what the hell?" Paul asked startled as I dragged him towards the car. I threw the back door open and shoved him in aggressively. I hopped in too not wanting Sleepy to see me.

"Ow." Paul rubbed his arm. "If you wanted to get me in the back of a car Suze you could have just asked."

"Shut up." I replied. My face was turning bright red. I dropped my purse on the floor of the car and sighed.

We sat there in silence while Sleepy was leaving the house. He proceeded to his car.

"Hey isn't that your stepbrother?" Paul asked sounding confused.

"Yes it is." I replied after a moment. I watched as he drove away.

"Why are you following him?" He asked. "Does this have anything to do with Eric's murder?"

"How do you know about that?" I stared at him.

"It's in the newspaper. Apparently someone let it leak out and the police are royally pissed about it." Paul replied looking at me. He glanced at my outfit. "You look nice." He fingered one of the buttons on my coat like I was doing earlier.

"Thanks…"I muttered not really paying attention. What was Sleepy doing here? I snapped out of my daze. "Paul quit it before I slug you." I smacked his hand away from the button.

"What else did the paper say?" I asked. "Wait a minute. What paper was it?"

"The Carmel Pine Cone." He replied and slumped back into the seat.

That was the newspaper that CeeCee works at. I wonder if Anna leaked the story…who had Anna been talking to on the phone when CeeCee over heard her?

"So are you going to solve the murder Nancy Drew?" Paul asked still rubbing his arm. I guess I had shoved him in the car pretty hard.

"Looking that way." I replied.

Another car, a Ferrari, pulled up into London's driveway.

"Wow. She has a lot of company for such an early hour." Paul muttered.

Together we watched as milk mustache man walked out of the Ferrari. Yes. Larry was going to see London. That meant Eric was around.

"Do you see Eric anywhere?" I asked looking around.

"Why the heck would I see Eric?" He asked.

"Because he's following Larry. He seems content on the idea that Larry may have poisoned him."

"When did he come and find you?" He asked.

"At his memorial. Now shush and help me look for Eric. If he see's him with London, Larry might end up dead."

"But what if Larry is just coming to give his condolences?"

"Do you want to risk that?" I asked watching as Larry knocked on the front door. She answered the door and motioned for him to come inside.

Paul and I got out of the car and went back to the bush that Paul had caught me at.

We watched as Larry and London sat down on the couch. Larry leaned in and kissed London. Something I hadn't seen her do with Sleepy. Which is something I guess.

I got up from behind the bush and brushed the dust off my jacket. The fog was burning off and it was getting warm.

"Well then." I said. "So much for him just giving her his condolences."

Paul was still leaning on the sidewalk in front of the bush looking at the window.

"Suze…" He said.

"Yeah what is it?" I took off my jacket and put it into the car and shut the door. I leaned against the car.

"I think I found Eric." Paul said.

"What?!" I asked.

"He's inside…"

"Oh man. No, no, no, no." I moaned.

"He looks mad." Paul said.

This was not good. When ghosts get mad things tend to rattle and people get hurt. I sighed opened the car door. Lucky for me, I had a plan. Kind of. I pulled out a bouquet of flowers from the front seat and then ran to London's house.

"What are you doing?" Paul hollered behind me.

"Mediating! You should try it sometime!" I retorted

I knocked on the front door. I heard Paul come up behind me.

London answered the door.

"Hi Susannah." To say she looked shocked to see me was a mere understatement.

"Hi! I just wanted to stop by and see how you are and bring you flowers." I said in a rush. Paul cleared his throat from behind me.

"And I brought my friend Paul with me and he was wondering if he could use the bathroom." I continued.

Ok I admit it. I was making up everything. Obviously. I _had_ brought the flowers in case London caught me snooping. I was using them exactly like I was planning to. But now I needed to get into the house so I was using Paul.

London hesitated for a moment. "Thanks…" She took the flowers. "Come in."

We both stepped inside.

"The bathrooms down the hall to the left. Excuse me for a moment while I put these in water." London said.

Paul gave me a dirty look and walked down to the bathroom.

I slipped into the living room where I found Larry sitting in a chair and a very angry Eric standing near him. I guess Eric saw Larry kissing London. Both of them looked up when I came in.

"Hi. What's going on?" I asked looking at Larry.

"Hello Susannah. I never got a chance to thank you."

I blinked at him. What in the world was he talking about?

"For what?" I asked.

"The stuff on Dr. Navy." He replied.

"Your welcome." I answered.

I was keeping one eye on Eric. I could tell he was going to burst any second. His face was bright red.

"Did you know that he was KISSING MY WIFE?" Eric shouted.

I winced. I couldn't reply of course without blowing my cover and without making Larry thinking I'm nuts.

The painting above Larry's head began to rattle. I knew that it was not because of an earthquake but from Eric's anger. I watched in horror, as the painting was about to come down on Larry's head.

"Look out!" I hollered grabbing Larry's arm and yanking him from the chair. The painting fell and knocked over a marble statue that proceeded to fall into the chair that he was sitting in. If he had sat there when the painting went down, Larry's head would have been cracked in to pieces.

Eric, looking disappointed shook his head. "You shouldn't have saved him Susannah. No matter, I'll get him next time." He shimmered away.

Paul and London came into the living room.

"What happened?" London asked looking at the aftermath of Eric's destruction.

"It must of have been a earthquake." Larry replied rubbing the back of his neck out of frustration and confusion.

Paul came up to me and whispered into my ear, "Eric?"

I nodded. I had a feeling that I needed to rest up because I was going to be busy for a while.


	8. Eleanor's Famous Cookies

A/N: Thanks again for the lovely reviews. I apperciate it. Sorry for the shortness of this chapter. On Sunday I'll try to write a long one. Enjoy! 

**Chapter 8**

A few hours later, I found myself walking up the steps of Eleanor's porch. I stooped down and picked up a newspaper. _The Carmel Pine Cone._ Perfect. I looked at the drive way and saw Margarita sitting there, making me laugh. I walked into Eleanor's house, as was my custom. Eleanor loved me like the granddaughter she never had due to the fact that she never married. I walked in and was instantly blasted with a burst of cold air. It felt like heaven.

"Eleanor?" I hollered out. "It's Suze!"

"Suze dear, we're in the kitchen!" I heard her holler back. I walked into the kitchen, which was very 70's retro. The walls where sunshine yellow and the table and chairs was made out of plastic.

Jesse was leaning against the counter eating one of Eleanor's famous chocolate chip cookies, wearing a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt. Even though it's been awhile since he's been alive, it was still weird for me to see him in modern clothes rather then what he wore when he was a ghost.

"Hey querida." He said when he saw me and preceded to hand me a cookie.

"Gracias." I replied and took a bite of it. That was about the extent of my Spanish knowledge despite the fact Jesse tries to teach me.

"De nada." He replied.

"How's the cookie Susannah?" Eleanor asked. She was standing in front of the sink washing the dishpan. She dried it and wiped her hands on her apron.

"Yummy, as usual."

"Oh did you bring in the paper?" She asked noticing it under my arm.

"Yes I did. I was wondering if I could read it?"

"Of course dear. I don't have time to read it now anyway. I'm off to bingo, and then I'm going to a movie. I don't remember the last time I've been to a movie." She took off her apron and hung it up on a hook. "You two stay out of trouble."

Eleanor left the two of us alone in the kitchen. We both stood their happily eating our cookies as we listened to her gather up her purse and holler a goodbye.

Jesse came up to me and gave me a kiss on my forehead.

"What was that for?" I asked picking up another cookie. I was starving.

"Just because. Now, why are you here so early in the day? I thought you'd be at work with your mother." He said.

I stuffed the cookie into my mouth and unrolled the paper. Sure enough on the front page was "Carmel's News Anchor Poisoned: Accidental or Murder?" I winced; I guess my mom would know about him being murdered now, and skipped down the article to see who wrote it.

"Well, I asked for the day off so I could follow Jake and I found myself in a messy situation." I replied.

I hadn't looked up from the paper as I said this, but I knew he was frowning at me. Like any over protective boyfriend, he hates it when I get into trouble.

Finally I found out whom it was written by. At the end of the article it said, _by, Anna Hallowell_. CeeCee's editor.

"What happened?" He asked his voice full of concern.

I put the paper down, looked at his gorgeous face and told him about these mornings events.

When I was through he muttered, "Nombre de dios. Now where is Paul?"

"Keeping an eye on Larry."

After we abruptly left a very confused London and Larry, Paul and I ended up in the Rambler talking. I guess now Paul was in on investigating the murder as well. He had asked me what our next move was, and I told him that he needed to keep Larry from ending up dead. After whining about why I couldn't do it, and this and that, he reluctantly agreed. So, I drove him to his house (a mere two streets away) and he got into his convertible (his parents/grandfather are extremely wealthy) and went on babysitting duty. I drove from there to Eleanor's house hoping to catch Jesse.

"I bet he's enjoying that." Jesse replied.

I rolled my eyes and muttered a yeah.

"So what are you going to do now?" He asked as we walked from the kitchen into her living room. Her living room was a 70's retro style as well. The couch was a bright orange with lime green pillows. This was not really my style, but it suited Eleanor perfectly.

"I would really like to know how Anna found out Eric was poisoned. So I figured I'd go down to the Carmel Pine Cone. Would you like to join me?" I asked as we plopped down onto the couch.

"I would love to. But I can't…your stepfather called asking me if I wanted to help him out today with a construction job. He need's help dry walling." He replied as I snuggled up to him.

Sometimes it scares me when my boyfriend works with my stepfather. I'm constantly paranoid with what they talk about while they do their job. I hope it isn't me.

"Sounds good." I said and smelled his cologne. Yum.

"Well, I really better get going." He said looking at the clock on the coffee table. "I need to be there in an hour."

"Ok. I won't keep you any longer." I replied and kissed him on the lips.

A little bit before lunchtime, I found myself walking into the _Carmel Pine Cone_ looking around for CeeCee. I spotted her sitting in her cubicle editing an article on her computer.

"CeeCee." I said and walked up to her desk. I sat down on the edge of the desk.

"Hey Simon." She smiled at me. "What's up?"

I smiled back at her and raised my eyebrows.

"Oh man…what do you need now?"

Cee knows me so well. I tend to raise my eyebrows when I want something.

"Ok. CeeCee I need to know who Anna was talking to when she found out Eric was poisoned. I figured you could lore her out of her office and let me sneak in and check her caller ID?"

She sighed.

"Simon…" She began. "Don't you think the police are investigating this? I mean, if it were murder they would be right? So what does it matter how Anna found out Eric was poisoned?" She asked.

"The police don't know everything I know…" I replied whispering to her.

"And what do you know?" She whispered back.

"I know London is probably having an affair with Larry. I know that Eric and Larry fought hours before Eric had a heart attack." I replied, still whispering.

CeeCee digested this information.

After a long pause she said, "Alright Simon. I'll help you. And after words, I'm going to do some investigating of my own."

I suppose it was time do to a little breaking and entering. I just hope this plan works.


	9. Code Red Copiers Broke!

A/N: I had to repost the chapter because the HTML junk was all wrong. Stuff that I had written wouldnt show up. Anyway, please read and review!! (Thanks for the reviews I have recieved, I apperciate it!) 

**Chapter 9**

When breaking and entering I have learned that it is best to know what you are looking for. Also make sure that you wear comfortable shoes in case of a hasty get away. Currently, I had neither of those things going for me. I knew that someone had to leak the information about the poisoning, and Paul even said the police are mad about the whole situation leaking to the press. But I didn't know who did it or when.

Oh, and if I had to make a getaway I would most likely end up sprawled out on the floor with a broken ankle. I had on high heels.

I watched from against the wall as CeeCee walked into Anna's office. CeeCee's job was to get Anna out of the office so I could do a little snooping.

CeeCee said something that made Anna look up from her computer with a startled glance. I wonder what she was saying. _Code red. Copiers broke?_

Anna, clearly frustrated, ran her hands through her hair. She got up and walked out of the office with CeeCee in tow. CeeCee stealthy saluted me as she whizzed passed, signaling that the coast was clear.

I darted into the office and over to her phone. I figured if I looked at her caller ID on the day of the memorial, the day that she got the call about Eric being poisoned, I might be able to get a name and number off the ID. CeeCee had informed me that it had been around 9:00 that morning.

As I looked through the Caller ID I realized that there was none. Any numbers in it I mean. Except from today, there were absolutely no numbers in the memory. Anna had cleared it. I know that if I were guilty I would do the exact same thing. So does that mean Anna's blameworthy?

_Ok, this whole mystery was getting a little frustrating. It was one question after another and I am getting absolutely nowhere…_ I thought to myself.

Then I noticed something. I looked over at her computer, the one she had left so hastily, and discovered an email was open. It read:

_**Glad you got the scoop. I think it helped boost the papers popularity. –L**_

_Ok_. L could stand for London or Larry. It wasn't like the email address was any help. The address was, WIshIWereGolfing and I knew for a fact both London and Larry golf. In fact I think they even golf together…Man how long was their affair going on? Anyway, I hit the print button and the printer on the desk next to the computer spited out the email. I grabbed it and stuffed it into my purse.

"Excuse me? What are you doing in here?" I looked up and had a deer-in-the-headlights moment. I was completely busted and I couldn't even run away. You know, what with me being in high heels and all. I looked at CeeCee whose eyes where wider then a full moon as she stood behind Anna.

"Hi! I was looking for a piece of paper to write you a note on. I'm Susannah Simon, CeeCee's best friend. I was going to ask you about journalism…" I lied, completely amazed at myself for thinking the story up so fast. I had plastered on a fake smile that I hope she would take as sincere.

"Where you just going through my things?" Anna's nostrils flared as she said this, something that I do not think is very attractive. So much for my dazzling smile.

"NO! God no. Like I said I was looking for a piece of paper…" I trailed off not sure what else to say. She had me, and she knew it.

"Uh huh. Right. So what _did_ you want to ask me?" Anna asked a hand on her hip looking at me suspiciously.

"Susannah! You're going to be late…for that thing…at the place…" CeeCee jumped in. CeeCee is good at being a writer but not a liar. But I decided to go with it anyway.

"Yeah! Your right! Want to walk me out?" I asked. I took this as an opportunity to high tail it out the door. CeeCee nodded while following suit.

"Miss Simon!" Anna bellowed. "Don't walk away from me!"

Sorry sister, this mediator has to leave.

"Miss Simon!" Anna said again.

"I really am late! Have a nice day!" I hollered back over my shoulder. When I did so, I saw her watching me from the door to her office looking pretty ticked and a tad dangerous. If she was the murderer, I was going to have to watch my back.

We ran out to the rambler, well I wobbled more than ran because of my heels, and then proceeded to climb into the driver's seat and CeeCee into the passenger side.

"Jesus. I don't know what I'm going to say to her when I go back in there. Maybe I should just quit now. Save her the trouble of her firing me myself." CeeCee muttered.

"Cee, you wont get fired." I replied checking to see if Anna was following us. I added a, "I hope," under my breath.

"Gee. Thanks Simon, you sure know how to make a girl feel better." So much for my comment being under my breath.

"Well… What did you find out?" CeeCee asked.

"She cleared her caller ID. But she got an email…" I pulled the email out and handed it to her.

As she read it, she muttered to herself and when she finished she handed it back to me.

"Which L do you think it is?"

"Could be either. I'm starting to think they are all in on it or something."

"How do you figure?'

"I don't know…Call it a hunch?" I said. "Will you keep an eye on Anna?"

"Sure. Hey, if I get fired because of this do you think your Mom needs help interning at the station?" She asked as she climbed out of the car.

"If you get fired, I'll personally give you my job." I replied.

"So you're no closer to figuring out who did it?" Jesse asked as we sat on the roof of my house that evening, the same place I had been this morning. He had come home with Brad and Andy from work and had dinner with us. Andy didn't mind an extra plate at the table, because his love of cooking meant he had another victim to taste test his latest concoction. Tonight it had been grilled skirt steak with steamed veggies.

"Nope. I've got nothing. Any suggestions?" I asked and took a sip of hot chocolate. Even though it gets up to 90 degrees in the afternoon sun, it still gets to 40 degree's at night and I was freezing.

"Have you talked to Eric recently?" He asked pulling me closer to his chest.

My insides were doing a dance like it always does when Jesse was close to me. As I lay there I could hear his heart beating, something I never could hear when he was a ghost.

"No. No Eric. Paul say's he hasn't been around Larry at all." I replied and finished the rest of my hot chocolate. It was no joke trying to drink it lying down. I already dribbled some of it onto my sweatshirt, something I'm sure makes me look attractive. I sat the cup down next to us.

"Wait, Susannah… You only had Paul watching Larry?" Jesse asked, his voice suddenly filled with concern.

"Yeah why?" I asked sitting up, startled by his tone.

"What about London?"   
I bit my lip out of confusion. "What about her?"

"She kissed Larry." He said.

"Yes and Eric went after Larry clearly angry." I replied slowly like I was speaking to a 4 year old.

"Yes but what if Eric isn't mad at just Larry? What if he's mad at his wife too?" Jesse inquired.

"You don't think he went after her instead of Larry do you?"

"I don't know Susannah. Do you think he would?" Jesse raised his scared eyebrow as he said this.

I pondered this for a moment.

"No! Jesse, no! She's having his baby for crying out loud." The wind had picked up and was causing it to blow my hair onto my lip-gloss. I brushed the hair out of the way not caring how sticky it was making my hair.

"Do you think it's his?"

"Well of course it's his baby!" I retorted lamely. I could see where Jesse was going with this.

"What? Do you think it could possibly be Larry's?" I continued.

After I said that I wanted to put my foot in my mouth. Jesse stared at me like I was an idiot.

"Oh man." I said. All of a sudden I started to feel extremely sick. Like I was going to throw up or pass out.

"Susannah…" Jesse whispered.

"It's Larry's isn't it?" I said groaning. "London knew that it was Larry's baby, or at least knew it could possibly be Larry's and she didn't want Eric to know about it. That's why she poisoned him!" I stood up suddenly and almost fell off the roof but Jesse grabbed the hood of my sweatshirt. Once I righted myself, I grabbed the cup and walked over to the window.

"Susannah, where are you going?"

Insane maybe?

"Come on." I muttered.

Ok, so it sounds soap opera-y but I bet people kill for less. London did have a reputation to uphold and if the social scene of Carmel found out she was sleeping with an investigative reporter…Well lets just say she would no longer be welcome to those fancy country clubs on Sunday mornings for brunch with the other rich housewives. At least not with out some whispering behind her back occurring of course.

So in a way, it made perfect sense. London was keeping her reputation in check. But how had she poisoned him? If it had been something obvious, like rat poison the police would have noticed and probably check her house.

But, like I said before, the police don't know everything I do. Which is a pity really, I mean it's not like I can tell them everything I know. They'd just lock me up in the loony bin. _Hey officer! A ghost knows that Larry and London are having an affair! Wait why is there a straight jacket? _Not that I blame them or anything.

Anyway, Jesse and I went back into my room and I stood there for a moment thinking about our next plan of action.

"What are we doing?" He asked me as we just stood there for several moments.

"You sit right there," I pointed to my bed, "and use your cell phone to call CeeCee." I answered and walked over to the computer sitting on my desk that Andy had bought for me.

I googled London Vandorvelt. After a few minutes of sifting through some articles I came up with something interesting.

"Jesse, got CeeCee on the phone?" I turned around and looked at him.

He shook his head and held up his index finger. The universal sign for "hold on".

"CeeCee, hi. This is Jesse; Susannah needs to talk to you. Call her at this number." Then he clicked off. See what I mean about him not being a phone person? He didn't even say goodbye.

Jesse walked over to the computer and peered over my shoulder.

"It says here that London became one of the richest woman in Carmel." Jesse read.

"Yeah. Apparently after Larry died she got all the money he had inherited. Which, obviously was a lot. On top of all of that, she got his insurance money." I told him.

"Is that another motive?" He asked me.

"I think so. Do you think we should pay a little visit to London?" I asked him looking into his chocolate eyes.

"Si quierda. I think we do." Jesse replied.

It was going to be a long night.


	10. Foxglove

Chapter 10

As Jesse and I drove up to London's house we saw a lot of activity going on. It looked as if London was throwing a party.

"Please tell me that if I ever die, you won't throw a party a week later." I muttered as we got out of the car.

"Susannah, I don't think it's a party. I think it's a…what do you call it…" He thought about the word he needed.

"Wake." A voice said behind us. "It's called a wake."

"Slater, have you been here the whole time?" Jesse asked Paul as he strolled up to us from his BMW.

"Kind of, I took a break for lunch and dinner and an afternoon snooze…your boy Larry is a pretty boring guy."

I sighed. "Well, at least we know Eric didn't go on a mass killing spree and murder his wife." I said to Jesse. "Other wise this wake wouldn't be happening…Wait, don't you need a body to have a wake?"

"Apparently not." Jesse commented.

The three of us stood on the sidewalk and watched as people dressed in black went in and out of the house. After a while, everyone was inside and all the windows were lit up. Since the windows were huge, the three of us could watch the wake inside. London and Larry where on the couch talking, like they had this morning. They got up and we could no longer see the two of them.

"Aren't you going to ask about my day Simon?" Paul asked me after a moment. I could tell by the sound of his voice that he was grinning.

"No. I wasn't planning on it." I retorted.

"Well, since you asked…." Paul blatantly ignored me. "There was one interesting part. I followed Larry to the station and over heard him talking to the higher-ups. The higher-ups told Larry that his position as co-anchor was not permanent. And Larry got angry when he heard this. From what I can tell, I mean I wasn't in the room or anything; he knocked over a coffee pot. He yelled that, "it wasn't supposed to happen this way!". Whatever that means." Paul stuck his hands in the pockets of his chinos.

I raised an eyebrow and looked at Paul. Did this mean what I think it does?

"He really said that?" I asked him.

"Yes. He did. Why?"

Jesse threw a curious glance at me.

"Well, because-" Our conversation was cut short by a loud screaming coming from the front yard.

Larry and London had apparently moved out front and where talking-no correction, yelling- at each other.

"You did what?!" London screamed. Obviously she did not see the three of us, which is probably a good thing. We where in front of that same bush again.

"I did it for us London! You should realize that!" Larry screamed back. Larry stood up from the bench they had been sitting on.

"How could you possibly think that's what I would want?" She shouted back.

"What is going on between them?" I whispered.

Both Jesse and Paul shushed me. We strained to listen to them.

"Larry leave! Leave right now! Get off of my property!" London screamed at him.

"London!" He pleaded. "You do not understand!"

"No! I do! I completely understand! Now leave and don't come back!" London replied in a low and dangerous voice that I could barely hear.

We watched as Larry stalked away from London and got into his car and drove away.

"What was that about?" Paul asked.

Jesse clearly had connected the pieces to the puzzle because he responded, "Larry just confessed." He said in a low voice.

"Confessed?" Paul repeated.

My blood had run cold and not just because it was 40 degrees out. It was because I, like Jesse had connected the puzzle pieces too.

"To murdering Eric." I answered Paul. "It was Larry all along."

later

That same evening Paul, Jesse and I all sat together in my living room. It was late and Andy and my mother had already gone to bed. I had promised my mother that I was going to bed soon too since I needed to be up for work in the morning and that Paul and Jesse where just here to hang out for awhile. The thought of going to work tomorrow made my stomach churn. It meant seeing Larry, a murder.

"So why did he do it? I still don't understand." Paul asked leaning back into the white chair my mother had bought from Ethan Allen. The same chair she threatens to kill the dog if he gets on.

"I think he did it because when he found out London was pregnant he knew it was his." I replied.

"No Susannah, I think there is more to it then that." Jesse countered. We were sitting together on the white couch snuggling. Which caused Paul to make gagging noises. An immature kid he will always be.

"What do you mean?"

"I do not know. Maybe he did it to make sure London will be well off in life. You know, the insurance money thing. Or possibly he did it to get promoted. It would make since considering what he said in the board room with the higher ups." Jesse threw these ideas out.

I rubbed my temples. This was confusing. So many questions where going unanswered.

"What should we do? Should we go to the police?" I asked.

"And tell them what Simon? That we over heard these things? We don't have any solid proof." Paul argued.

I let out a sigh and we sat together in silence.

"Susannah. Go get some sleep. We can regroup later." Jesse said to me after I yawned for the millionth time. I didn't feel like arguing.

"Good night querida."

"Goodnight Jesse. Night Paul." The two of them walked out together. I stretched out on the couch debating whether to sleep here or in my warm bed. Right now the couch was winning.

I was about to be in lovely dreamland when the front door opened.

"Who's there?" I muttered sitting up groggily.

"Susannah? What are you doing up?" A voice asked.

"Jake is that you?" I asked rubbing my eyes.

"Yes." He said and came and sat down next to me.

"Jake. Are you sleeping with London?" I asked before thinking.

"Susannah! God no. I'm not. Why would you ask that?"

"I don't know. It just came out of my mouth. Sorry." I replied and yawned again. "So what are you doing out so late?"

"I had a date with my teacher, Callie. We went night surfing." He grinned at me.

Wait a minute. Was Sleepy and I actually having a conversation? An actual conversation? Oh hell is officially freezing over.

"How was it?" I asked smiling.

"Good. It was good. Now go to bed. Your going to work with Mom tomorrow right?" He asked. I loved it when he called my mother Mom.

"Yes I am. Hey Jake I need a favor. Will you keep an eye on London for me?" I asked.

"Sure…Why?"

"Just do that for me ok?" I said and got up and climbed the stairs where I dragged my butt into bed.

Later

The next morning I got up and showered, pulled on Bermuda shorts, a black tank top and black flip-flops. It's official; I have turned into a California girl.

My Mom and I drove to work together with my stomach in knots. I was going to have to pretend that I didn't know Larry killed Eric. Which was going to be difficult. I mean, how do you act like you don't know something that big?

When we got to the station, we all gathered around into the conference room. I sat there awaiting orders. Larry, like usual handed us all coffee. Larry handed one to me and smiled. I plastered a false grin on my face as I took it trying not to throw up.

I turned to my Mother and said, "Mom, could you excuse me for a moment?"

"Yes honey. You feeling ok?" She asked brushing my hair out of my eyes.

"Yeah fine of course." I said and took my coffee. I paused. "Hey mom… How are you? I mean I know this is tough for you about Eric and all…" I trailed off.

My mother smiled at me sadly. "Thank you honey for asking…I'm doing ok." I allowed her to kiss me on the forehead, something I usually don't let her do.

After a moment, I left and walked over to her cubicle.

"I can't do this…I really can't do this…" I muttered to myself and put my head against the desk.

I had to confront Larry but how? I needed him to confess to me. I needed a plan.

Later

After a grueling morning of working with a murderer I decided I needed to take a drive. I grabbed the keys to the rambler and walked out to the carport. As I was about to get into the car I noticed something. The passenger door was completely dented.

"Dopey!" I shouted.

Dopey had already ruined one car. We had the Land Rover but he managed to total it because eating a taco was clearly more important then steering. So Andy and my mother bought us another Rambler. And now, the new rambler was dented.

I stalked back into the house and grabbed the phone, fuming. I dialed Jesse's cell number; I knew that Dopey would be with Jesse since after all they are working together.

"Hey Jesse, is Dopey, err Brad, their?" I asked.

"Si quierda. Here he is." Jesse replied. I listened as he handed the phone to Dopey. I heard Dopey ask who was calling and when Jesse said Susannah, Dopey said some pretty colorful words.

"You found out about the car didn't you?" Dopey asked heaving a sigh.

"You bet your butt I did. What the heck happened?" I shouted.

"Debbie and I got into a fight and when she tried to storm out of the car the passenger door hit a lamp post."

I paused for a moment, trying to resist the urge to laugh.

"You wont tell Mom and Dad will you?" Dopey asked sounding pathetic.

"No. I won't tell them." I answered. I could use this as leverage when I needed it.

"I'm going to get it fixed when I get enough cash saved up."

"And when will that be?" I asked, still trying not to laugh.

"Next pay check. Suze you promise not to tell?" He asked again.

"I promise!" I replied. "I'm hanging up now."

I clicked off. Well, nothing like a little comic relief to make ones day better. Before I had a chance to place the phone back into the cradle it rang.

"Hello?"

"Simon? Its CeeCee."

"Hey CeeCee! Did you get fired yet?" I asked.

"No. I didn't get fired but she has me running around like a lap dog. Everything ok? I just got Jesse's, abrupt, message."

"Yeah everything's good." I lied. "Everything is just dandy."

"Ok then Miss Sunshine. So what are you doing tonight?"

"I don't know. What's happening tonight?" I asked.

"Fourth of July. Want to go to the beach or something?"

"Yeah sure. Sounds good." I replied not really hearing her. Because, she reminded me that it was Fourth of July, which meant everyone had the night off at the station. Which means that I could snoop around Larry's cubicle in peace.

"Simon?! You still there?" CeeCee's voice snapped me back to reality.

"Yes I'm still here."

"So what do you think?"

"Of what?"

"About foxglove?" CeeCee said.

"What? What's foxglove?" I asked completely lost.

"Man. You really spaced. I just told you how Eric died. He was poisoned with foxglove. If ingested over a long period of time, it will cause a heart attack." CeeCee informed me.

"What exactly is foxglove?" I asked my heart rate speeding up.

"Foxglove is a plant. Go goggle it and you can see a picture."

"Ok. Thanks." I said and hung up abruptly on CeeCee.

CeeCee had given me the final clues. I know how Larry killed Eric. And now all I needed was proof.


	11. You Told

**AN: Thanks guys for the reviews! Loving it! Enjoy this chapter. There's more to come.**

**Chapter 11**

During dinner, I suppose I was a tad distracted. When I looked down at my plate midway through, half of my food was gone. I suppose it was due to the fact that I had the living vacuum at my side, namely Max.

"So what if we all get together and go to the beach to watch some fireworks?" My mom suggested to us breaking the silence.

"Can't. I'm hanging out with Debbie tonight." Brad said with his mouth full of rib roast.

"Gross. Close your mouth. And I thought Debbie and you where fighting." I told him coming out of my daze.

This caused me to get a swift kick in the shins from Dopey.

"Ow!" I muttered.

"Brad did you just kick Susannah?" Andy asked him setting down his fork ready to strike down the hammer of justice, otherwise known as his fist.

"No. Did I Susannah?" Brad asked turning his eyes to me.

I debated whether to get Dopey into some trouble but being the good person I am decided not to.

"No." I rolled my eyes. Oh he owed me big time.

"I can't go down to the beach tonight Mom. I'm meeting up with CeeCee, Adam and Jesse." I informed her, bringing the conversation back to her question. I wasn't technically lying either. After going down to the station I was planning on meeting up with them. Granted they didn't know about my snooping. I figured Jesse would just try to talk me out of it.

Andy satisfied that he had prevented his stepdaughter from being bullied by his middle child-something that will only happen when hell freezes over- picked up his fork and began eating again.

"Oh. Well David, would you and your girlfriend like to go with your father and me to the beach?" My mother asked, desperately trying to get the family together.

David's face turned a shade of red similar to a tomato and muttered a "sure." Poor David… Having to spend the night with my Mom, Andy and Shannon, his girlfriend. I would save him if I could, but I had work to do.

"I call dibs on the car!" Dopey suddenly shouted out.

"But…I need the car." I said in reply ready to do some pouting. Since I was the only daughter in the family I could usually con my way into getting things.

"Why would you need the car?" Jake asked. "Wouldn't Jesse just come and pick you up?"

Crap. This was true. Jesse, being the gentlemen he is likes to pick me up if we make plans.

Lucky for me, my mom stepped in and said, "Did Jesse end up with a lemon of a car?"

"Yes. That's exactly it. It's in the shop. Needs a new…. spark plug." Spark plug was about the only terminology I knew when it came to cars.

"You can borrow my car Susannah. Poor Jesse…Getting stuck with a bad car. They did a report on how teenagers shouldn't be trusted to go buy their own cars. Car salesmen usually pegged them as a first time buyer and use some fancy lingo so they just end up buying the first one they show them."

"That's probably what happened Mom. He should have waited for Father Dom to be there." I replied.

Later...

After dinner, I went up to my room and changed into a black pair of pants, white t-shirt and my leather jacket. I grabbed my passkey, which would allow me to get into the station through the side and made my way downstairs. As I walked down the hall I ran into Dopey who grabbed me and pulled me into his room. It smelled like gym socks in here.

"What?" I asked him annoyed.

"You didn't tell them about the car did you?" He asked.

"For God sakes man. LET IT GO. I didn't tell them and I don't plan on it." For now anyway.

"Ok. I was just checking. Where are you going anyway?"

I blinked at him. "Out with Jesse…I told you earlier."

"You're lying." Dopey replied and walked over to the mirror to fix his hair.

"No I'm not."

"Susannah, come off it." He glanced at me.

"Ok fine. CeeCee wants to see the station at night so were sneaking in." I told him.

"See? Was that so hard?" He asked grinning at me.

"Nope. Not hard at all." I replied and left him putting gel into his hair. I wonder why Debbie puts up with that. The hair gel I mean. I know that when I run my fingers through Jesse's hair I don't like a bunch of hair gel getting gunk on my fingers…

Anyway, I took my mother's car and using her cell phone, which she lent me, called Jesse and told him I was running late. I motored to the station and went inside.

It was eerie being in the station at night with no activity. I was used to the hustle and bustle of reporters running in and out.

I walked over to Larry's cubicle and cracked my fingers wondering where to begin. I started opening drawers trying to be silent even though no one was around. In the first drawer there was pure junk. Office supplies like staples, a pack of gum and some paper clips. In the bottom drawer was the jackpot.

Under a notebook was the flower foxglove, the murder weapon. Give the girl a prize.

I pulled out my camera and snapped off a couple shots. I put my camera back into my pocket.

I had Larry. All I needed was to get the proof to the police. I shut the drawer and moved over to his computer. Maybe I could find a diary telling me step by step how Larry planned on killing Eric. He was after all, psycho so it was possible. I was using the sleeves of my jacket as gloves so I wouldn't leave any fingerprints or anything else behind; something I learned from Veronica Mars.

The last thing I saw was the computer screen before everything turned black.

My head was throbbing. And where was Jesse? Jesse was usually around whenever I got hurt. And I was assuming I was hurt by way of my head feeling like it was split in half. I opened my eyes and felt dizzy. I knew I was lying down but the room still spun. I was confused and my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth.

_What was I doing here?_

Then I remembered. I had been snooping through Larry's things and then I got clobbered on the back of the head. The way things are looking right now; I'm surprised I can still move. I probably have a concussion. Which means if I can get myself out of this mess a trip to the ER was in store. This was not fun. Not fun at all.

I slowly sat up and the room slowly stopped spinning. I looked around and saw that I was alone; at least I think I was, in the conference room. My tongue was still stuck to the top of my mouth so when I saw the bottle of unopened water on the table I drank it greedily. The pain was beginning to numb, thanks to the water, which allowed me to think.

I could assume that Larry had clocked me on the head. But why had he just left me here in the conference room?

I searched my pockets looking for the cell phone Mom had lent me going to call Jesse.

"Looking for this?" A voice in the shadows asked me. That same voice made my blood run cold. It was the voice of a murderer.

I stood up and the voice walked into the light allowing me to see him holding a cell phone.

"Yes I was." I replied to him trying and failing miserably not to let the sound of fear into my voice.

"Why where you going through my things?" Larry asked me as he stepped closer to me causing me to step back.

"I know what you did Larry! We all know!" I needed to buy time and to get him to confess to me. But no one knew I was out here at the station so no one would come to my rescue. This is a problem. A very big problem. I needed that phone.

"And what have I done Miss Simon?" Larry inquired. The sparse light in the room gave his face the look of a monster.

"You killed my mothers best friend. You killed Eric. You robbed two children from their father and an unborn baby." I replied, my voice wobbling.

All of a sudden, a plan formed in my brain. Call Eric. Just call him. Not on the phone or anything but call for him and he will come; kind of like a dog.

So as Larry came closer to me, in my mind I shouted out the name ERIC! A moment later a glowing figure appeared behind Larry.

"I don't understand why Larry. Why did you kill him? I know how you did it." I told him.

"Ok Miss Simon. Tell me, how. And then, if you're right, I'll tell you why." Larry said.

Eric was about to pounce on Larry but I shook my head. I wanted him to hear this. Eric sensed this and bit back his anger and listened.

"You put foxglove in his coffee every morning for the past few months. Something not really difficult for you to do because you bring us coffee every day. Even before I came to work as an intern you would bring everyone coffee. It was especially easy to know which one was his because he was the only one to drink it with skim milk. They mark that on the cup so you always know." I replied feeling pretty proud of myself for figuring it out. While I had been talking I had inched closer to the door.

"Well bravo Miss Simon. We might make a reporter out of you yet. But you couldn't figure out the why." Larry said in a deranged voice that reminded me of Jack Nicholson circa The Shining.

"Oh. Well I have guesses. Maybe it was because Eric was married to the love of your life and you wanted her all to yourself. Or maybe it was because you wanted a promotion. You didn't want to be an investigative reporter forever now did you?" I asked still moving as fast as a turtle to the door.

"Or maybe you did it because you knew you'd end up with London after Eric was out of this picture. Which meant you'd have money. I'm betting London bought your Ferrari for you. I mean, I know investigative reporters get paid nicely but not that well." I continued. "Or maybe it's everything. I don't know. Why _did_ you do it Larry?"

"Because…" He whispered. It was clear that he had fully lost it now. His mind was completely gone. His pupils where dilated so tiny they looked like little pins.

"I did it because he didn't deserve her!" He shouted. "Eric didn't deserve London! He didn't care for her like I do! He didn't deserve being a news anchor either!"

The room began to shake. Eric's rage was causing the whole room to tremble. Probably the whole building too.

I watched as a painting fell off the wall.

"He killed me out of jealously?" Eric roared. I don't blame him really, I'd be mad if someone killed me out of a jealous rage too.

I took this as an opportunity to high tail it out of the room and call the cops. I decided to ditch the idea of getting the cell phone and just use the phone at my mom's cubicle.

I didn't notice though that Larry was running after me. He grabbed the back of my shirt causing me to trip and fall. I heard a cracking noise as soon as I hit the floor.

My arm was broken. Great, just great. A girl tries to rid the world of a killer and look where she ends up! With a concussion and a broken arm.

Eric came up behind Larry and grabbed him by the neck. I watched this from the floor cradling my arm.  
Larry looked extremely confused. I bet he was wondering who was chocking him.

"Susannah! You TOLD!" I heard from the front of the building. _What the heck_? I thought. Was my concussion making me hear things?

"Susannah? Are you there? CeeCee?" Dopey, my stepbrother stepped into the light. "Oh my God! What's going on?" He shrieked as he saw Larry choking and me sprawled out on the floor.

I looked over at him and shouted for him to call the cops. He didn't seem to hear me.

"BRAD! CALL THE COPS!" I shouted again. Finally he broke out of his daze and

ran off towards the phone.

This was not good. Here I was, with a broken arm, and a ghost making Larry turn a deep shade of blue. Dang it. I was going to have to go to Shadowland just to get Eric to stop killing his killer.

I dragged myself off the floor and placed my good arm on Eric's back. I thought of the place I hate…Almost instantly we were in shadowland.

"Why did you make me stop?" Eric asked me shouting. Wisps of fog played at my feet.

"Look Eric, its time for you to let me take over and for you to move on. I will make sure he ends up punished."

"Why did you make me stop?" Eric asked me again.

"You where going to kill him!" I shouted.

"Yeah so? He killed me! And where are we anyways?"

"Look! What good would him being dead do? Where would the justice in that be?" I exclaimed. I needed to get back down there. I had left Brad alone with Larry and an, well an unconscious me.

"We are in Shadowland. And its time for you to move on Eric…Let me handle it. So pick a door, any door and move on." I continued almost whispering.

I felt bad for it having to end like this. I really did.

We stared at each other for a moment. Finally Eric broke our staring match and turned around facing a door.

"Tell London and the kids that I love them." He said. Then he opened a door and with a flash of light, he was gone.

I returned back to Earth with a splitting headache like before only this time it was twice as bad.

I didn't want to open my eyes because I feared what I was going to see.

I felt a tingle on my cheeks.

"Susannah! Wake up! Susannah! Say something!"

"Brad, stop slapping my cheeks." I said and opened my eyes.

Dopey was stooping over me looking scared.

"Thank God you're ok! I called the police and next thing I know you're on the floor passed out." He stammered.

"Where's Larry?" I asked sitting up.

"He's over there." Brad said pointing to the floor.

Larry sat there trying to breath but it was like sucking air through a straw.

"Did he…Did he hurt you?" He asked still staring at Larry.

"Well…He broke my arm and clocked me on the head." I replied.

"Oh…that's why you have that big bruise on your forehead."  
Great. Just great.

I could hear the sirens in the background. Dopey and I sat there watching Larry. I was afraid he would get back up and try to kill us. Hopefully Dopey would use his wrestling skills and put him in a full Nelson.

"Hey Brad…Why did you come here?" I asked cradling my bad arm again.

He laughed. "Mom and Dad found out about the Rambler…And I figured you had told so, I came here to chew you out."

"Thanks. You saved my life. If you hadn't have come down here to yell at me, there's no telling what would have happened." I cast a glance at Dopey, no Brad. He deserved to be called Brad now…for a little while at least. He had, after all saved my life. Even if it had been accidentally.

"No problem. What are big brothers for?" He asked and ruffled my hair.

"OW! Concussion here!" I shrieked.

"Sorry." He muttered.

I let out a sigh of relief when the cops and an ambulance worker came in.

Brad helped me up and an EMT came over to tend to me. The police grabbed Larry and handcuffed him.

I told the police that all the evidence they needed to prove that Larry murdered Eric was in his desk.

"Susannah!" I heard from behind me.

"Jesse? What are you doing here?" I asked startled. The EMT had placed a cold compress on my arm and we were about to get into the ambulance and go to the hospital.

"I called him shortly after I called the police. I figured you'd want him here."

Aw. I was touched, really touched that Brad would do that for me.

"Thank you." I said to him.

Jesse got into the ambulance with me and Brad told me he'd follow behind us.

"Querida…" Jesse muttered as he held my hand.

I smiled. It was finally over. Eric could finally rest in peace now.


	12. Dream

**Authors Note: **

**Sorry for not updating in awhile. Fan wouldn't let me download a document. Some error or something. Anyway…**

**Ok I may regret making the story go like this later but oh well.**

**So please read and review, tell me if you like it or hate it (Don't be afraid to tell me what you don't like about it guys. I can handle it.) Por favor… It will help me a lot.**

**Oh! And thank you so much for the really sweet reviews! Without them I don't think I would have kept writing the story! So again, thanks. **

_**PS: Do we ever learn the name of Susannah's mom in the books?**_

**Chapter 12**

Something was wrong, very wrong; I could feel it all the way to my tips of my toes.

My toes… I wiggled them and discovered that they where all warm and snuggly, like I was under a blanket or something.

Groggily, I opened my eyes to a pink canopy; courtesy of my mom's decorating tastes, and I realized I was in my room.

_What the heck? Why wasn't I at the hospital with Jesse? _

I touched my forehead where the bruise should be, and felt absolutely no pain. Next, I felt my arm, and it wasn't broken. _This isn't right._

I grabbed my phone on the nightstand; the phone that was old fashion and decked out in pink (also courtesy of my mother) and dialed Jesse's number to his apartment. Maybe he could shed some light on things.

He picked up after 3 rings. "Hello?" He said in a sleepy, yet sexy, voice.

"Jesse!" I gasped, I hadn't realized that I had been holding my breath while it had been ringing.

"Susannah? Are you ok?" He asked sounding concerned. I would be too if I was him. I mean, if my girlfriend called me up in the middle of the night, I'd be slightly alarmed as well.

"I don't know. I'm fine. But I shouldn't be." I said in a rush. "Jesse, what day is it?"

"It's July 3rd…Wait hold on." I heard some background noise as he sat down the phone. I heard him pick it up again. "I looked at my clock, its midnight so technically, it's the 4th. Now what's this all about?" He asked with a yawn.

I paused before answering him. It was the fourth, everying that had occurred yesterday hadn't happened yet. Could I have possibly dreamt it? That had to be it. That was a logical (at least in my world) explanation.

"I had a dream, at least I think it was a dream.…and it was yesterday, no, well, today I guess." I spoke rapidly to him. "And I figured out how Larry murdered Eric. Brad saved me. And I broke my arm-"

"Susannah. Slow down. Slow down. It was only a dream." He soothed me.

"Jesse. I don't think it was a dream. I think it was a vision or something."

"So your not only a mediator but also a psychic?" He asked sounding amused.

Why wasn't he taking me seriously? I know visions are a little crazy but seeing ghosts is crazy too.

"Ha-ha. Funny. I'm serious. It was real Jesse. It was completely real. Every single thing about that dream felt so real. What do I do?" I asked him on the verge of hysteria.

As if sensing this, he said, "Ok. Querida, tell me exactly what happened in you're dream."

I proceeded to spill the contents of my dream to him. He listened to me, and only interrupted when I spoke to fast and he would tell me to slow down.

After a moment of silence Jesse said, "Maybe it was a vision. Maybe it was to warn you? Or comfort you in some way knowing that it will end out ok?"

"Maybe…" I answered. "Maybe it was to make sure that it happens that way."

Ok. I was starting to confuse myself. To many theories where forming in my mind causing me not to make much sense.

Lucky for me, Jesse understood my gibberish.

"So what you mean is, maybe you had the vision to ensure that the day will play out the same way it did in your dream. Only problem is that now I know you go to the station and get hit on the head and break your arm. Something I won't ever let happen to you. Which changes the dream.

"I think that maybe you had the dream to ensure that it doesn't happen that way. So you can change it." He was fully awake now. The yawning he had been doing had ceased.

"Tell you what Susannah. Try to sleep some, and I'll come by the station in the morning and we can figure this out."

"Come during the morning conference meeting. We can take a look around Larry's desk." I told him.

"Alright, Goodnight quierda. Get some sleep." He repeated.

Sleep. Right, like that was going to happen.

But after I said goodnight to Jesse, amazingly I did. Sleep, I mean.

Luego>/p> 

The next morning I felt my mother shake me awake.

"Susie! You over slept honey. We need to leave in 10 minutes. I guess you slept through the alarm." She said and stroked back my curls from my face.

"Are you feeling ok? You feel warm." She asked touching my forehead.

I nodded. When I had fallen back asleep I had the same dream again and again causing a night of stress.

"Yeah. I'm fine it's just a little warm in here, that's all. I'll get dressed and grab a pop tart and we can go." I replied giving her a weak grin.

She hovered over my bed for a moment and studied me like Doc does his science experiments. Finally she left me to get dressed.

Still in my bed, I glanced over at the chair where I had thrown the clothes on that I was going wear today. I had picked them out the night before. It was the same ones from my vision.

The Bermuda shorts, and black tank top sat there taunting me.

_Well, maybe I should make things different like Jesse said._ I thought to myself. I went into my closet and pulled on a green Betsy Johnson dress and shoved the other clothes onto the closet floor.

Later, I found myself in the conference room sitting next to my Mom as Larry handed out the drinks, just like in my dream.

_You put foxglove in his coffee every morning for the past few months. Something not really difficult for you to do because you bring us coffee every day._

"Hey Larry…Do you always get the coffees?" I asked as he handed me mine, the words from my dream echoed in my head. I watched his face, wanting to see if he would falter or give me any sign that he had been poisoning Eric.

"Ever since I started working here. I also make sure everyone gets what he or she wants too. Like you Susannah. You like yours with cream." He said proudly.  
"Why do you ask anyway?" He replied cheerfully, without skipping a beat.

So much for a dead give away.

"No reason. Must cost you a lot." I replied with a fake smile.

He laughed and continued handing out the coffees. Oh gag me.

Angela came into the conference room shortly after the meeting began. She walked over to me, and bent down whispering into my ear, "Susannah…Your hot boyfriends here to see you."

Angela turned on her high heels and left the room.

I smiled at my mother and excused myself from the meeting. No one objected since the only reason I was there was to clean up after everybody when they are done ( I was really supposed to be "learning what its like in broadcast news").

Yeah right.

I walked over to Jesse, who was speaking to Angela. He must have been saying something pretty amusing since she giggled, seriously giggled, and blushed. Ew. She was 30 and hitting on my boyfriend. I must put a stop to this. I went into total girl mode.

"Hey Jesse!" I said cheerfully and came up to him and planted a kiss on his lips. He was so shocked that he forgot his PDA (public display of affection) rule.

After 15 seconds of smooching, reality sunk in for him and he gently pushed me away.

"Nice to see you too." He muttered and gave me a smile making me melt.

I glanced at Angela who rolled her eyes and started filing her nails, like usual.

Success. Take that Angela, Jesse's mine.

"Come on." I said to Jesse. He followed me and we found ourselves in front of Larry's cubicle.

"Everyone's in the conference room except Angela." I informed him.

From where the two of us are standing, we couldn't see Angela. Which meant she couldn't see us (I hope).

"For how long?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"Another 20 minutes at least." I replied and opened the bottom draw where I knew the jackpot would be.

"Looking for the foxglove from the dream?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"After you called, I looked the flower up."

I paused before moving the notebook out of the way.

"What did you find out?" I asked looking up at him.

"Have you ever heard of the television show _Psych_?" He asked.

"Yeah. Andy makes my Mom and I watch it all the time. It's pretty funny." I replied.

"Well, apparently there was an episode of that show where a guy murdered his coworker using foxglove. See, the guy he murdered had a heart condition and the murderer knew this. So the murderer made sure that he would bring coffee dosed with foxglove in it everyday. To take the suspicion off of him, he'd bring all of his co-workers coffee. Anyway, the flower weakened his heart causing a heart attack." Jesse finished.

"I saw that episode a while ago. Do you think that Larry may have seen the episode and played copy cat?" I asked frowning.

"Very possible." He replied.

I thought about this for a moment. Sighing, I leaned back down to the drawer and picked up the notebook causing a piece of paper to fall out.

I stooped down and picked it up.

_Thanks for the scoop Larry. I promise to keep my mouth shut._

_-Anna_

Very interesting.

I bet Anna found out about Larry's killing and used it to her advantage to make sure the paper got the first scoop.

"Susannah…" Jesse whispered clearly not paying attention to my note and to me.

"Yeah? What is it?" I asked still looking at the piece of paper.

"Didn't you say that in your dream there was foxglove in the bottom of the drawer?"  
"Yeah. Under the notebook." I replied looking at him.

"Well…there isn't any."

I looked down at the drawer and saw that he was right. The foxglove was nowhere in sight.

Well, so much for my vision. Our murder weapon had vanished.


	13. We Can Handle It

**AN: Sorry for the long wait. Only 3 more weeks of school (including finals) so things have been a tad crazy. Sorry if the format is all screwy. Fanfic just doesnt like me. haha. Oh and I'm sorry if this is really short guys! Its better then nothing right/**

**Chapter 13: We Can Handle It**

"Maybe he doesn't put the flower into the drawer until later." Jesse suggested later that afternoon. He proceeded to cook the beef in the frying pan. He was making tacos for us for lunch.

"Maybe." I tipped back on the bar stool next to the stove watching him. "Where did you learn to cook like that?"

He paused before answering, and busied himself with putting the cooked beef into a container before moving on to dice up the tomatoes.

"You don't have to answer. I mean, you're just really good at it. And well, yeah. They didn't have electricity back in the olden days and I was just-" I rambled on hoping that someone would put me out of my misery.

Jesse smiled at me and I immediately shushed up. He had, I have noticed, that effect on people.

"We may not have had electricity but we did have fire. And don't refer to it as the olden days. It makes me feel like an old man." He said with a grin. "My mother taught me how to cook, she told me not to rely on a woman for my meals." Jesse said.

"How very early century feminist of her." I replied smiling.

"Yes…She was very much like that." He stared off into space.

"Do you miss her?" I picked at a broken taco shell and debated whether to eat it.

"Very much. When I first passed away, she was the first person I haunted."

I lowered my hand that held the piece of taco shell that had been sneaking its way to my mouth.

"I'm sorry, you did what now?" I asked confused.

"Well, you know how your father "popped" in on you randomly throughout your life?" He put the tomatoes in a pan and put some lettuce on the retro table Eleanor has had since the 70's.

"Yes. But how do _you_ know that?"

"He told me when we met."

Oh that's amusing to picture; Jesse and my father having high tea on the astral plane or wherever spirits hang out for fun discussing my life. I let out a mental groan and prayed my dad didn't tell any embarrassing stories.

"Ok…Go on." I said pushing the thoughts out of my head.

"Well, after being a ghost for a while I learned you could go to places. So the first place I went was to see my mother. Of course she couldn't see me but it was nice seeing her again. Until…" He broke off frowning.

I got off the bar stool and stood next to him at the table. He had his back to me when I whispered, "Until she learned that you never showed up to see Maria."

I could never even begin to imagine how it would feel to be seeing the aftermath that would be thrust upon my family if I suddenly died or disappeared. I would never want to see them broken hearted like that, especially if I knew there was nothing I could do about it.

I felt a ping in my heart, hopping my dad didn't see my mother and I broken up after his death like Jesse had.

The back of Jesse's head nodded in reply to what I said and he cleared his throat before turning around to face me.

"But that was a long time ago Susannah. We have other things to worry about right now." He gave me a weak smile.

I took a big step forward and stood on my tiptoes to plant him a kiss on his lips.

"I'm glade you came back to haunt my bedroom." I whispered.

.OOOOOOOOOO.

"So. Do you have a plan for tonight?" Jesse asked me as we washed the dishes from lunch.

"No actually. I mean in my dream everything worked out fine in the end. So why shouldn't it work out now?" I replied putting the clean dishes into the cabinet. It was weird doing this. It felt so…married like.

"Well, for one thing your vision has completely changed your day. You didn't go home with your mother and proceed to find out about Brad & the Rambler, which is different. Plus you didn't avoid Larry all day like in your dream. If anything you where sassy to him" He replied.

"But that's different because I know that Larry will end up in jail. So why should I be concerned about it?" I asked still a tad confused.

"Because your day has changed Querida." He said.

I couldn't argue with that. The dream had made me change everything about this day.

"True…it has. So lets just keep changing it." I replied and grinned. A light bulb had just gone off over my head.

" I know that look Susannah…you have a plan. What is it?"

"You'll just have to wait and see." I grinned mischievously and went off to clear the table as Jesse continued washing plates.

He shook his head at me, probably wondering why he put up with having me as his girlfriend.

"Have you found out who did it yet?".

"I told you. It was Larry. We even have the proof because of the dream and everything." I replied.  
"Larry? Larry killed me?" A voice bellowed. I whirled around and came face to face with Eric. I threw a startled glance at Jesse who had taken the plate he was washing and put it on the drying rack. He looked as every bit of shocked as I was.

Eric was fuming now. You could tell because one of the glasses on the table began shaking.

"Eric-" I was about to jump in and say a cliché of a line. Namely, don't do anything stupid.

I was interrupted in mid sentence by the glass of water falling onto the floor. The whole table was trembling like an earthquake. Eric was mad, so mad I wouldn't be surprised to see smoke coming out of his ears.

"Eric. Let Susannah and I handle it." Jesse stepped in and put himself in front of me in a protecting gesture.

"Why did he do it?!" He exclaimed.

I hesitated, not wanting to answer and make him even angrier.

Lucky for me Jesse stepped in.

"Does it really matter?" He asked Eric. "We all know your still hanging out in this life because you need your murderer to be punished. If you kill him, he wins. He doesn't have to pay the consequences. Instead he gets to move on to this next life. He doesn't get to go to trial, and end up in jail for a lifetime sentence. Instead he just gets to move on." Jesse concluded.

His argument, I felt was a very strong one. After a few seconds Jesse's words seem to have sunk into Eric's mind. I could tell because the table no longer rattled and because his face seemed to soften.

"Let us take care of it Eric." I said. "We can make sure he gets punished, but you need to promise not to go anywhere near Eric. I have a plan. And it's a good one."

"Could you at least tell me why I had to have been poisoned?" Eric asked in a whisper.

"_I did it because he didn't deserve her!" He shouted. "Eric didn't deserve London! He didn't care for her like I do! He didn't deserve being a news anchor either!"_

"He wanted you're life. You're job and wife. Your everything." I replied.

A weird thought popped into my head. Paul had been keeping an eye on Larry all week to make sure he didn't get killed because of Eric since he found out about the affair. From what Paul could tell, Eric had not been by to borrow a cup of sugar or to kill Larry. Where had Eric been this whole time?

Then it donned on me.

"You knew about the affair before hand didn't you?" I said.

Eric looked down at the floor.

"I suspected something was going on. I didn't know for sure until I saw the two of them together."

"Why didn't you try to kill him again?" I asked.

"I didn't try to kill Larry again because I realized it meant nothing to her. Their relationship I mean. She loves me and not him. I think she was lonely because I work all the time. I know it isn't much of an excuse but I really do think it was loneliness." Eric replied.

The three of us sat in silence, letting his words stew for a while.  
Finally, Eric said, "I'll let you both handle it. In the mean time, I'm going to keep an eye on London."

And just like that he shimmered away leaving me and Jesse to plan out tonight.

.OOOOOOOOOO.


	14. Confession

Chapter 14

"Are you sure about this?" Jesse hissed at me as we sat outside the station later that night.

I had, like in my dream, told Andy and my Mom that Jesse, CeeCee and Adam and I were watching the fireworks at the beach. Also like my dream, they believed me.

"Yes. Why?" I asked him. Was macho man Jesse getting scared?

"Well…What if there are people in the building." He asked shifting his weight in the driver's seat of Margarita in an attempt to get more comfortable.

"I told you. Everyone got the evening off to spend with their family. Carmel's news station is a small local one. Therefore, if they decide to not go on air they run an episode of That 70's Show or something. Their viewers get the news on another station." I turned from my seat and faced Jesse. He looked like I had just spoken Polish to him.

"Never mind. No ones in there. Except Larry. Somewhere." I answered.

I suppose that when he was a ghost he would never have to worry about being caught breaking and entering because, well, who would see him? But now the circumstances had changed. He was human again, capable of getting injured and caught, something that was clear to him and me.

"If you're sure…" He still looked unconvinced. His eyebrows where scrunched together, and the scar on one of them became more visible, in a very sexy way.

"Lets do this De Silva." I said in a macho voice and climbed out of the car.

Jesse sighed and muttered, "Nombre de dios". He stayed in the car, per our plan.

.OOOOOOOOOO.

I entered through the side building with my camera in hand and pepper spray in the pocket of my jeans for easy access. A girl always needed to be prepared.

"Hello?" I hollered as I stepped into the station. It was empty, as I had suspected and only half the lights where on. The place was completely bare, giving off a calm vibe.

"Anybody here?" I hollered again. As I expected, I got no answer in return.

I strolled over to Larry's desk for what felt like the thousandth time today.

I took a picture of it before opening the bottom drawer. After snapping off the picture, I the drawer and moved the journal, finding exactly what I was looking for.

Larry had placed the foxglove in his desk drawer. He must have put it there after everyone left before moving it to a safer place.

Now personally, if I had poisoned someone with a flower, I'd burn the evidence as soon as I could but apparently Larry didn't think this way.

I closed the drawer and stuffed the camera into my purse and went to turn on the computer like I had envisioned earlier. I pulled out my paper spray and sat my purse on the desk.

I watched the screen, waiting for it to turn the pretty shade of sky blue as it booted up. As I looked into the monitor I saw a figure standing behind me.

I spun around; saw a startled Larry holding a baseball bat in midair, ready to bring it down onto my head. No wonder I had had a concussion in my dream. The psycho had hit me with a baseball bat.

I blasted Larry with my pepper spray right into his eyes.

"That's for Eric!" I said triumphantly.

Almost immediately he dropped the bat and started to rub his eyes while cussing me out, making it worse. His eyes where starting to swell shut and turn bright red. He stopped rubbing them and attempted to look at me. As I suspected, the swelling made it so he couldn't see much but that didn't stop him. He took a big step forward towards me, which boxed me in a corner.

Before I had a chance to kick him in the shins (he was blind after all) Jesse came up from behind him and tripped him, causing Larry to fall backwards on to the floor. Larry let out another string of colorful curse words.

"Why I must say, I kind of expected more fight out of him." Jesse said looking at Larry curled up in a ball. We took a brief moment to stare.

"We have to get a confession before calling Carmel's finest." I said pulling out a tape recorder and turned it on and stuck it in my pocket. I was feeling very calm about this situation, which my therapist back in New York would most likely deem unhealthy. I mean, being calm about catching a murderer as if it was an everyday occurrence could not be a normal thing.

"How? Beat it out of him?" His eyes sparkled with amusement as he answered my question.

"I don't know. I'm not used to beating up people who are alive. I deal with the dead remember? If they're dead, it doesn't really matter if you pound on them." I replied tersely.

"Eric." Jesse stated after a moment.

"What about him?"

"Get him to get the confession out of him."

I looked at him mortified. Jesse was going to let Eric beat Larry to a bloody pulp just so he didn't have to?

"No! He may be a murderer-" 

"I meant scare it out of him. Make him somehow show his ghostly form. Not hurt him. Physically anyways." Jesse replied with a smirk.

I sighed at him and shook my head, ready to argue. But then something in the corner of my eye caught my attention.

"Look out!" I yelped. While the two of us had been bickering Larry had regained his momentum (and some eye sight) and had grabbed the bat and went swinging towards Jesse.

Acting on instinct, I kicked towards Larry's direction and heard a satisfying crunch. I had obviously broken, or at the very least bruised, something.

Sadly, I didn't get a chance to see what I had done because next thing I knew, Jesse grabbed my hand and the two of us where running.

"Ok. I changed my mind. Call the cops. Screw the confession." I said as the two of us ran down the hall.

"I don't have my cell phone!" He hissed.

Go figure. The one time we actually need it.

"Stop!" I hollered. We stopped in front of the producer's office. I tried the doorknob and lucky me, it was unlocked. I shoved him into the dark, yet pristine office. The glow of the computer screen that had been failed to turn off was the only light in the room. It was enough light though, to show the phone sitting on the glass desk.

"Use the phone to call the police. I'll distract Larry." I told Jesse. Before he got a chance to argue, I darted out of the room and shut the door as quietly as I could.

Ok. I'd like to take a moment to state that I really did not have a plan at all. I had no clue what to do. I was acting on pure instinct and adrenaline.

I tiptoed down the hall towards the makeshift kitchen that the station had. I figured maybe I could make some noise and distract Larry long enough to get the police at the station.

"Susannah? Where are you?"

I shivered. It was Larry calling out to me. I was in the dark kitchen crouched behind the table waiting. I had picked up an apple that had been left on the table earlier and was currently clutching it in my hand.

I waited until Larry's footsteps got closer. 

"Susannah!" He called out again.

I took this as my cue and threw the apple into the hall where it hit a wall with a bang.

I held my breath as Larry ran past the kitchen and to the area where the noise came from.

I heard him muttering.

"Susannah. That was a nice trick. Now where are you?" He hollered again.

"Does London know you killed her husband?" I hollered out to him. I was stalling,

waiting to hear the police sirens, which would be here any moment. I knew that by talking to him, I ran the risk of him finding me.

"Yes. I confessed to her. She knows, yet surprising she hasn't turned me in yet. I bet she realizes that I killed Eric so we could be together." I could hear the smirk in his voice. He was getting cocky.

I looked around in the dark area that surrounded me. The only source of light I had was the bright clock light on the coffee pot. I stood up thinking maybe I should make a break for it and go find Jesse.

That's when I heard the sirens. Jesse had contacted the police.

I tiptoed towards the doors of the kitchen where only moments ago, I threw the apple. I peaked around the door only to come face to face with Larry.

I shrieked, and was frozen in fear as Larry shoved me backwards causing me to hit my head on the doorframe. Then everything turned black….

.OOOOOOOOO.

The next thing I knew, I was opening my eyes to a concerned looking Jesse.

"Hi." I croaked and attempted to sit up.

"Nombre de dios. You're ok." He snatched me up in an embrace and kissed my cheek. I looked over his shoulder and saw an officer hand cuffing Larry.

"Ow. Owww." I muttered and Jesse released me.

"What? What is it? Is it your head? I can call an ambulance. They can be here in a minute." He said.

"I don't need an ambulance. My head does hurt but something in my pocket's poking me in the side." I reached in and pulled out the tape recorder. It was still on. It had Larry confessing to killing Eric!

"Wait! Jesse give this to the police!" I said and handed it to him.

He hesitated, clearly not wanting to leave me, but got up anyway and handed an officer the tape. He muttered some other things to the officer who nodded in response.

"What did you say to him?" I asked.

"Where to find the foxglove and Anna's note. I think we should let them take over now.

Don't you agree?" He asked helping me stand up.

"Yes. I do." I leaned on him and we made our way to the front.

"We should get your head checked out." Jesse said.

"Can't we do it in the morning?" I asked.

"No. Now. And the police would like your official statement but I asked them if we could

do that tomorrow and they agreed." Jesse replied.

"Thanks…" I muttered.

"Oh and one more thing that I think you should know-"

I turned to look at him. Was he going to say I love you or something equally as romantic and cheesy?

"Susannah! Oh honey are you ok?"

I turned my gaze from Jesse and saw, of all people, my mother rushing over to us.

"You called my mother?!" I hissed at him.

"Yes I did." He said defensively. "I thought she should know that her daughter was hurt."

"Yeah ok but how am I going to explain all of this?" I hissed to him as she approached.

"We can figure it out together." He replied.

Before I had a chance to complain my mother reached us and gave me a big hug.

"Honey what happened? Are you alright? Jesse called me and I was so worried…"

"I'm ok. I solved a murder." I told her with a bright smile hopping to take the look of concern off her face.

"Again?" she asked. I bet she was referring to when I stopped Michael Meducci from getting away from murdering 4 people.

"Yeah…I did. And I'll tell you all about it on the car ride to the hospital. Jesse will you drive us?" I asked.

He nodded.

"The hospital? What happened? Jesse didn't tell me."

"Larry pushed me causing me to fall backwards and hit my head and I think I may have a concussion." I stated.

My mother looked ready to pass out.

"Larry? Larry did this?" She asked turning pale.

"Come on Mom…I'll tell you about it in the car."

.000000000000.

**AN: Not the end yet guys. One chapter left. I would LOVE feed back. So please review.**


	15. It's All Over

**Chapter 15: Its Over Now**

"I cannot believe you solved a murder that the police couldn't." Sleepy, being miraculously vocal for once, said the next afternoon at our "family" lunch.

I don't see how it was much of a family lunch since Sleepy's girlfriend, the one who had been teaching the summer course, had joined us. It turns out that Doc had done some snooping of his own and ousted Sleepy to Andy causing him and my mother to invite her over.

Dopey's girlfriend, my mortal enemy Debbie, and Jesse had also been invited to lunch. I think the only reason Jesse had been invited was because he saved my life. Again.

"Seriously Suze! That must have been amazing! Although Jake, the police would have solved it eventually. Over 98 of major murder cases get solved by the police department. Suze just figured it out first." Doc exclaimed.

Andy passed me the plate of surf and turf before giving it to anyone else. If he had given it to one of my stepbrothers, there wouldn't have been anything left.

"Jake, David. Do not encourage her. If Jesse hadn't have been there to save her who knows what would have happened." My mother scolded them. She was pretty pissed off at me for getting into a sticky situation. Again. She was so angry that she grounded me last night at the hospital.

"It was nothing Mrs. Ackerman. I would do it again if I had to." Jesse replied modestly.

"Well…Lets hope you won't have to." She replied and took a bite of chicken.

I glanced at Jesse and tried not to burst out into laughter. He was also trying not to snicker. Both of us knew that I would get into trouble again thanks to my "ability".

"Suze, I have to admit, that was pretty cool of you." Debbie chimed in, most likely trying to make good with me so it would appeal to Dopey. A wasted effort if I do say so myself.

My mother set down her fork and said, "Oh Susie. After lunch Jesse is going to drive you to the police station to make your statements. Just there and back ok? No stopping for ice cream or anything like that."

Stop for ice cream? What era does my mother think we are living in? The era of Judy Cleaver? If Jesse and I were to stop for anything it would be for a much-needed make out session on his couch in his apartment in the attic. Not for some bubblegum flavored ice cream from the local creamery.

"Ok Mom. No problem…" I answered.

And that is how I found myself in Jesse's car after lunch.

"Here's what I don't get…How did Larry manage to hide the leaves from the foxglove in the coffee? Wouldn't he notice? And what does Anna have to do with all of this?" Jesse asked as he drove.

"Well…I don't have any clue about Anna. But as for the leaves, he always drank it with a lid, and it was this weird kind with coffee beans in it…so he probably didn't notice. Or Larry just told him that's how they make it now. Which Eric would have believed." I replied tearing my gaze away from the ocean.

Jesse grunted a reply as he turned on to Junipero Avenue. He maneuvered the jeep into a spot on the side of the street. We both got out of the car and he fed the meter.

As we walked down the street I stopped and paused when I came face to face with the station.

"That's the police station?" I said apprehensively.

"Yeah…I guess it is." Jesse laughing at my expression.

"It looks like a mission!" I exclaimed.

The adobe bricks were painted white, giving it a clean look and it had a Spanish influence to the architecture like most old buildings in Salinas Valley. The police station was nicer then most of the apartment complexes in Manhattan.

"I tell you…Carmel is weird." I muttered and the two of us ventured inside.

Once in the station, the receptionist told us to wait for the head detectives of the case.

I picked up a magazine sitting on the coffee table in front of us while Jesse leaned back in the chair and stretched out. I hadn't gotten past page 4 before two colorfully dressed detectives approached us.

The woman was dressed in white pants and a hot pink tank top, giving her the look of a model rather then a detective.

Meanwhile, the man was dressed like he just stepped out of an episode of _CSI: Miami_ as the main character Horatio. Horatio is the one who is constantly putting on his sunglasses after saying a witty liner. The detective even had red hair, similar to Docs, although his was straight; not curly. Both of them couldn't have been older then 26, which made me, wonder how much experience they really had. Oh well. Who am I to judge?

"Miss Simon? Mr. De Silva? Please come with me." The woman nodded towards the hall. We proceeded to jump up and follow the best-dressed detectives in Carmel.

"Miss Simon, you'll be with me." The woman said and stopped in front of two doors. "And Mr. De Silva you'll be with my partner Detective Reilly."

She opened one of the doors and gestured for me to go in. Before I walked in, I shot a pleading glance at Jesse, who returned my facial gesture with a half frown, half smile. I had an unpleasant feeling about this…

.OOOOOO.

"Now, Miss Simon my name is Detective Walsh. You can call me Lisa if it would make you more comfortable. May I call you Susannah?" She asked.

I nodded and leaned back into the metal chair.

I was in an interrogation room. It was obvious since all that was in the room, which was painted a calming color of purple, was a table, two chairs and a double-sided mirror. Maybe the decorator thought the soothing lavender would make someone confess quicker. I knew that it made me want to. Confess, I mean. And I had done nothing wrong. Except the time I stole gum from my grandmothers purse when I was 4.

"Ok Susannah it is. I'm just going to turn on this tape recorder ok?" She asked and flipped on the recorder before waiting for a reply.  
Nice to know my opinion counts.

"Can you state your name and age please?"

"Susannah Simon. I'm 17." I muttered.

Why was I being interrogated? If anything I should be rewarded. I had, after all, solved a murder. They should give me a medal or name a street or something after me.

"Now what is your parents occupation?" She continued.

"My mom works at a news station in Carmel and my dad was a lawyer before becoming a stay-at-home dad." I replied meeting her gaze.

She frowned and instantly I knew I answered wrong.

"You mean my stepfather Andy. Andy owns his own construction company and has his own home improvement show…Kind of like the show Home Improvement."

She offered me a weak smile. Score one for me, I can presume that I answered correctly.

"Alright. Now I'm just going to ask you a few questions about the case if that's ok?"

"Yeah. That's fine."

"Is it true you discovered foxglove in Larry's desk?"

"Yes."

"Did you take it upon yourself to solve this case by yourself?"

"I guess I did...I just wanted to find out the truth." I replied.

"Did you not have any confidence in the police?" She asked me in a non-hostile tone. Her features softened, showing off that model look she had going on.

"I do have confidence in the police…I really do. I just felt I needed to do something. I mean, he was my moms best friend…and I felt something was just off."

There was a long pause before she continued.

"You seem to have a long run in with the law." She said and opened a file I hadn't noticed before that was on the desk. She flipped through it.

I knew instantly what she was looking at. She had looked up all my records, the ones that the courts had promised my mother and I was sealed. She knew about all the times I'd been brought home by the police back in New York. She knew about the property damage I'd done to peoples homes and not to mention my old school.

She probably knew about the time I shattered that ladies window while she slept when I tried to get back a necklace. It was so I could give it to the ghost's sister. The necklace had been auctioned off to some random person by mistake.

I rubbed my temples and tried to keep myself from letting out a sigh. An awkward pause filled the room.

"I suppose so…" I replied weakly.

Lisa stopped beating around the bush and said, "Susannah, on that tape you gave us that has Larry's confession, it has you saying something about Eric. Why where you talking about him as if he was a ghost?"

I paused, ready to come up with the best lie I could muster, but the door to the room opened with Detective Reilly bursting in to unintentionally save me. I watched as he motioned to Lisa to come over to him. I strained to hear what they where saying but heard nothing.

As they talked they kept glancing at me. Finally, they ended their conversation and Reilly left.

"Sorry about that." She said.

"No problem."

"Where were we?" She asked as she sat back down.

I feigned forgetfulness but it didn't work.

"Right. The ghost of Eric." She said.

I could go the route of saying I had a dream. But what if Detective Reilly was questioning Jesse? If he said something else it would contradict my story. Best to go the route of dumb blonde. Even though I was a curly brunette.

"I don't really recall asking Jesse about Eric. All I remember is Larry coming at me with a baseball bat." I replied and gave her a half smile. You know, where only one side of your lip creeps up while the other side stays straight.

"Hmmm…. Convenient." She said snootily and flipped through the files some more. Whatever she and Reilly talked about clearly had her pissed off.

"The doctors said I could have some memory lose from hitting my head."

This was technically not a lie since the doctors did say that. Only thing is, I remember every single detail.

"Must be…" She said. "Well, maybe it will help if you tell me everything that happened that night."

I proceeded to tell the story for the umpteenth time. My version of course was without ghosts. When I finished she stared at me and chewed her bottom lip.

After a moment she said, "That's a nice story Miss Simon. For now, I suppose I have no choice but to believe you. That is all. We'll be in touch."

I sat there stunned. After all of that she merely tells me to leave? And why was my story so unbelievable?

Miss Snooty-white-pants had a big stick up her butt and clearly knew more then she was letting on. But the question was, _what_ did she know?

I got up and walked across the room, leaving her sitting at the table scribbling on a piece of paper.

"Oh Miss Simon." She hollered.

I turned on my heel to see her looking at me with her baby blues.

"Realize that my partner and I will be watching you."

Wait. What?

I felt the need to let her know that she wasn't rocking my boat as much as she thought. So I said, "I'll make sure I'm always looking cute then." Then I walked away.

.OOOOOO.

"What is her glitch?" I hollered later in the car.

"Well Susannah, Detective Reilly told me more then Detective Walsh."

"That wouldn't be hard to do. She told me nothing."

"It seems to me that they think either you or I can talk to the dead."

I turned in my seat to face him as he drove. The expression on his face was somber.

"What?" I whispered.

"He kept talking about a psychic and a medium and how they needed help and if one of us could talk to the dead we should confess." He continued like he was talking about something as mundane as the weather.

"Help? Help how?" I said.

"I don't know but I bet we'll find out."

Ok. This was weird. They need help on a case so they're turning to a potential psychic?

"Did Detective Reilly leave in the middle of your interrogation?" I asked him.

"Yes he did. How did you know?"

I tugged at my seat belt uncomfortably.

"Well, he came into the room when she was questioning me." I replied.

"Oh."

"Did you say something particularly interesting?" I pressed.

"No. We had barely gotten started. He said he needed some water and then got up and left."

"Jesse…How do we know they aren't trying to bait in a couple of crazies?" I said.

"I guess we don't…" He said as he pulled into my driveway.

"What now?" I asked and unbuckled my seat belt and leaned closer to him.

He unbuckled his seat belt and leaned in as well.

"Now we wait and see." He replied with a kiss.

.OOOOOO.

As soon as I stepped into my room, I heard a familiar thump on my window seal. It was Spike, coming into my room for the first time in ages. How he got from Jesse's place to mine, I'll never know.

"Hey kitty." I said not bothering to pet him, for it would be a wasted effort.

As I flopped onto my bed the phone rang.

"Hello?"  
"I want an exclusive." A familiar voice said.

"Cee? Is that you?"

"Yes it's me. Who else would be asking for an exclusive?" She said. "Scratch that. I bet your mothers station has called to already bring you on in the morning."

Sadly, this was true. My mother refused to let me go on though, because she says it is a "blatant exploit of my privacy and my youth". Whatever that means. She also said that it would be encouraging my investigating tendencies.

"If I give you an exclusive will it help better your career as a journalist?" I asked.

"Yes it would. And I would forgive you for not trusting me with this little secret you've been carrying around."

That right there was worth it. CeeCee is one person you should never cross if you value your reputation.

"Ok then. I suppose you need an exclusive. Oh Cee hold on that's the call waiting."

I switched the phone over.

"Hello?"  
"Suze. It's Paul. I'm coming over."  
"Wait why?" I said quickly.

"Eric. He doesn't believe you got Larry turned in. He wants to talk to you. And frankly, I need to hear it myself as well." Paul replied. I could hear the wind blowing in the background.

"Paul…Are you in your car?"

"Yes. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"I'm hanging up now Paul."

I clicked off and went back to CeeCee. I proceeded to promise her that I would call her tonight for an interview (I was still grounded after all) if she figured out what Anna had to do with it. She then informed me that the police had taken her off for questioning earlier so we would find out soon enough.

As soon as I got off the phone with CeeCee the doorbell rang. A moment later Paul appeared in my doorframe.

"Your mom said I have 10 minutes to talk." He raised an eyebrow as he said it. Clearly, my mother did not explain why he only had 10 minutes.

"I'm grounded." I replied and picked at the pink fringe on my pillow.

Paul whistled and said, "Your parents are harsh. Well then. Lets get down to business."

He closed the door to my room and went and sat on the window seat next to Spike. He stroked Spike's back (the cat is a traitor) and called out Eric's name.

Eric appeared, all glow-y and such, making his tan even nicer.

"Is it true Susannah? Did you get Larry arrested?" Eric wasted no time asking.

"Yes it is. I got him confessing on tape."

"So…Does it mean I can move on?" He asked.

I glanced a look a Paul, who looked amused by the whole situation.

"Yes it does. And don't worry. I'll tell London you love her and the kids." I got up off the bed as I said this.

"Thank you for everything. Susannah…Tell your mom goodbye for me too ok?" He asked. As he said this, his glow became fainter.

I grinned and nodded as Eric faded away.

"So that's it huh?" Paul said after a long moment of silence.

"I guess so."

"Everything turned out ok in the end." He said and got up from the seat.

"I suppose so."

Except now the police are watching me, (most likely so I'll crack and they'll have reason to believe I'm a mediator) I'm grounded, and I still don't have a cell phone.

"Suze!" I heard my mom bellow. "It's been 10 minutes!"

I groaned as Paul laughed.

"Well then Simon, I'll guess I should be going. How long are you grounded for?"

"Two weeks." I replied bitterly.

He laughed again as he left my room.

I guess I should take a moment to say that it was all worth it. And that being a mediator can have its rewarding moments, like for instance the one I just had with Eric.

Because that is what being a mediator is all about. Warm fuzzy moments.

AN: I'm writing a sequel. I'll try to have the first chapter up before I leave for Italy on the 4th. Let me know what you think.


End file.
